Not My Fairytale
by LilyAnneMarie
Summary: Renesmee Cullen is the successful editor of Mauve fashion magazine. She doesn't believe in love, and nothing can change her mind- that is, until the day he walks in.
1. The New Assistant

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**I do not own Twilight.**

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_"Onward, knights!" The charming prince shouted orders to his knights as they paraded on through the town. His armor shined with the light the sun reflected onto it. His teeth were perfect, same with his blonde hair. He smiled and said, "My princess awaits!"_

_So down he went, to the tower where the lovely princess was locked away. She sat, looking so forlorn, staring down at the peasants as they busied themselves with their daily tasks. A sigh she heaved as her depression overtook her._

_"Where's my prince?" she asked rhetorically._

_"Here!" a voice shouted._

_She peered down the gates of the kingdom to see the prince riding down with his band of knights on midnight black steeds. Red cloth was draped over each horse and dressed each knight._

_"My prince!" she exclaimed, sighing in content. "You've come to save me!"_

_He rode down to the tower, and demanded her hair for him to climb up._

_"My hair?" she scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me!"_

_He looked up. "My princess, what do you mean? I need something to climb upon! What would be more symbolic than---"_

_"Don't think so, buddy!" the princess scoffed. With a snap of her fingers, she called "Guards!"_

_With that, her so-called prince was taken away to the dungeon._

_Oh well. That was the third one this week. Stronger men before him have tried._

So I guess you're wondering where I play into this story? Well, I may as well introduce myself. My name's Renesmee Cullen. Weird name, yes. But hey! Don't mock it. I was named after my mother Esme and her mother Renee. Now I bet you're all going to go home to your parents and say "Guess what, mommy? This woman has a name as strange as Renesmee!" Well, keep in mind you'll be making fun of one of the top women in fashion! Yes, my poor little fashion deprived child. That's me. _The_ Renesmee Cullen. Renesmee Cullen, editor of _Mauve_ magazine. Women envy me. Men want me. But that's life.

Now you want to know "Where do you fit into this story?" Well, kid, I'll tell you. I don't, I guess. Love just... isn't for me. Let me let you in on something. True love... it doesn't exist! It's just something men make up to get women into bed and women make up to get gullible men to marry them. Yup. Hate to break it to you! Did I ever believe in love? Sure. I was a kid once, mind you! But... let me spin you a yarn.

It all started when I was eight. It was summer and I was at my cousin Victoria's wedding to her new husband, James. I was thrilled! I even got to be her flower girl! But before the wedding, I saw that good for nothing dog James sucking faces with another woman! Mistake number one, let me tell you, was getting married at eighteen. But anyway, so I confronted him, and you know what he told me? He told me they were just being friendly! Needless to say that marriage fell apart about three months later. That's when I gave up on love. If it weren't for Victoria, I may still be chasing that dream that there is a Prince Charming. Love. What a childish idea. I don't need a man to tell me who I am.

"Nessie!" my friend Leah greeted me as I walked through the doors of our magazine company. She wore a goldish-yellow plaid skirt that stopped just above her knee, a white silk button down shirt, gold heels, a white beret, and lots of gold jewelry.

"Hey," I said, stopping at the front desk to check calls with the receptionist. "Mike, any calls?"

The man with blonde spikes and icy blue eyes turned to look at me. Annoying little bastard he was. But dilligent worker. Hence the reason I kept him.

"I'll check," he responded, turning and typing something. I grabbed some mail that was sitting out for me and began flipping through it while he checked. "Yes. Kate Howard from _Crimson_ called. She wants to discuss a partnership between _Crimson_ and _Mauve_."

"Ugh!" I gasped, dismissing it with a wave of my hand. "I'll call her back later! Can't she just accept the fact that _Mauve_ will always be more popular than her little Port Charles work shop?"

I began walking down the colorful halls decorated in orange and white, Leah right beside me.

"Wait! Miss Cullen!" Mike called.

I spun around on my black heels. "This better be important, Mike. We have a lot to do!"

He entered something into his computer. "That new girl, Bella Swan, who was applying for the new assistant's job, she's coming in at nine."

I nodded and headed back down the way I was walking. "Call before you send her down, Mike."

"You know," Leah began as we entered the crystal clear glass doors to my office. "He's incredibly annoying. Why do you keep him?"

I tossed the mail onto my desk, making it scatter across the desk top. Plopping down in my chair, I set my feet onto my desk.

"Because he's a hard worker," I shrugged.

She plopped down in a red plastic chair across from me.

"Leah," I asked. "Don't you have to go to work or something?"

She looked at her watch. "Eh. They won't miss me."

I stood up and walked the short distance towards her. Very swiftly, I yanked the chair out from beneath her.

"Work," I demanded.

She rubbed her behind and saluted me weakly. "Yes, Mom."

With that, she marched out the door.

New designs were spread across my room on easels. They were very... interesting. Or was suckish the better word? One woman thought she would be "creative" and she decided she would put gold aluminum foil above the regular silver one. It was rather distasteful! Repulsive! Disgusting! I tore up design after design and threw them into a pile.

"DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TALENT?!" I screamed at the easel after about twenty designs.

"Um...," a timid voice said from the doorway.

I turned to see a woman with long dark brown curls and chocolate brown eyes. She looked slightly like me. Except for how she was dressed of course. She wore black capris and a simple deep blue T-shirt. So I was dealing with one of them, eh? Faking a smile, I gestured for her to come in.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized. "I... I-I didn't... you see it's just... the receptionist told me---"

"It's fine," I said fake-sweetly. "Remind me to fire Mr. Newton after this."

Horror crossed her face.

"No!" she said. "I... I didn't mean to get him fired! I just---"

"It's fine," I reassured her. "He was meant to go a long time ago."

She took an uneasy seat at the red plastic swivel chair across from my desk. I sat at my large orange chair behind my white glass desk.

"I love your outfit," she commented.

I smiled. I wore black capris that hugged my legs tightly, a black cami, and a red sweater over it. Black strappy heels covered my feet, and I wore lots of gold jewelry.

"Thank you," I said. "Now. Let's begin. What makes you qualified to be my assistant?"

A white file was what she pulled out of her black purse. She set it on my desk and pushed it towards me. I examined it while she spoke.

"I can type," she stated. "And I've held many positions before this, such as at _Crimson_ in Port Charles."

Eww. Crimson. That's one strike against her.

"And I've held assistant position at Mode Magazine. I graduated top of my class in high school and college. And... I can get you a pretty good discount at Starbucks."

I laughed. There was something pleasant about this girl that I liked.

"Well Miss Swan," I said pleasantly. "I think we can see what we can do with you."

A huge smile spread across her face.

"Really?!" she asked, jumping out of her seat. I nodded, smiling. "No way!" She stood up and began jumping up and down. "Oh thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me! You won't regret it, I swear!" She raced over and hugged me.

"Lesson one," I told her. "Don't touch me."

She looked at me apologetically and stepped back, locking her arms in front of her.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized, stepping back. That only knocked over the orange and red lamp that sat on my desk. She leaned over trying to grab it, only knocking some more designs off my desk. I raised an eyebrow as she fumbled to get everything in order.

"This stuff usually doesn't happen to me," she said as she scooped it all up.

I held my hands up. "Just go. Relax for the rest of the day. You start tomorrow, 8 am sharp." I told my new assistant as I walked out the doors of my office. Suddenly, I stopped on my heel and turned to face her. "Oh and Bella?"

She looked up from her uncomfortable position with the papers. "Yes, Miss Cullen?"

"I hope you're punctual," I stated, turning back on my heel and out the door.

"You won't regret it," I heard her call after me.

I guess that was the day I made one of my biggest mistakes. The day I hired Bella.

**Author's Note: This is kind of a pilot chapter. Nessie's a bitch. What did you think? I liked it, but that's just me. No! Nessie's not going to fall for Bella, mind you! You'll see, it's like dominoes :D Jake will be introduced next chapter, hopefully. Leave a review, tell me what you think and if I should continue. If I do, the chapters will be longer and they'll come out less than the normal pace.**

**_So turn that walk into a run! Gonna bring the party when I come. Sing it out if you wanna have some fun! And into the spotlight we will go. Follow me cause baby life's the show. Into the spotlight you will see, it's the only place to be... _Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	2. Photographer

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**I do not own Twilight.**

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_The princess stared down at her kingdom before her. Surprisingly she was content. No prince would take her away from her kingdom._

_"Princess Renesmee!" her new servant, Bella, called._

_The princess turned to see Bella running towards her with a long blue ball gown._

_"Is this my ball gown?" the princess asked, reaching out to touch the beautiful light blue fabric._

_Bella stopped, confusion crossing her face. "Ball?" She looked down at the dress and laughed. "No, no! Not the ball!" With a snap of her fingers, the beautiful gown changed into a ratty dress._

_She held it out to the princess. "You're going to wash the floors!"_

_The princess gasped, her mouth dangling open. "I shall do no such thing!"_

_Bella snapped her fingers again, changing the princess into the rags. "Give give give!" she said. She began pushing the princess down the long set of stairs._

_"I will not--"_

_"Yes," Bella stated. "You will. Trust me. You'll thank me later."_

_She threw a bucket and sponge at her then disappeared._

_"Good for nothing servant!" the princess scoffed, scrubbing the stairs. "I shouldn't be doing this!" Tears began to fall from her eyes._

_A fellow servant walked over and lifted her chin with his finger. "My dear princess, why are you weeping?"_

_The princess threw her hands up in the air, water splashing everywhere. "I was supposed to go to the ball! But now I'm here! Cleaning floors!"_

_He smiled, then held a strong arm out. "I would be more than happy to escort you to the ball, m'lady."_

_She examined the arm before she began to laugh._

_"What's so funny?" the prince asked._

_"The thought of you and I-- going to the ball together!" the princess replied between laughs. "Sorry, but stronger men than you have tried. Now, get out of my day dream!"_

_With a snap of her fingers, the vision vanished into clouds._

"To who do I owe this honor?" I asked the morning after, Tuesday. I was walking with my brother down the bustling streets of New York.

"An older brother can't take his baby sister out to breakfast on a Tuesday morning?" my brother, Edward, retorted.

I held up my hand which had a thin black glove on it which matched my white cloth coat and black pants. "A brother like, I don't know, Emmett, can. But not you, Edward. You always have your own agenda."

He held open the large dark black door to the restaurant for me. "Agenda? What agenda?"

"Don't play dumb with me," I warned. "What do you want?"

He walked over to the receptionist who gasped to see us there. I mean, who wouldn't? I _was_ Renesmee Cullen, after all. Needless to say he didn't have to tell her we needed a table. She was shouting orders before we could sit in a chair to wait. We were wisked towards the dining room and to a small booth. I scooted in, feeling like a child once more. The restaurant was dark on the inside, being lit only by table lamps and small lamps that hung from the ceiling. I squinted to see the tiny print on my menu.

"I think I'll have the chocolate chip waffles," Edward mused.

I peered over my menu towards him. "Edward, that's going to go straight to your thighs! Do you want to have... cellulite?" I winced at the word.

He chuckled and looked at me. "Well, princess, what are you having?"

I hated that nickname. Princess. He gave it to me when I got this position at _Mauve_. "I'm having the fruit platter," I stated. "With a side of whole wheat toast."

"God, what are you?" he asked. "The fat police?"

"You try being the editor of a very successful magazine!" I shot back. "Then you come back and complain!"

He rolled his eyes and set his magazine down. The waitress came and we ordered.

"Now," I continued. "What do you want?"

He looked down at the table top and began to play with his hands.

"Well, Nessie," he said, calling me the childhood nickname that only Leah now called me. "I have a friend... he's been out of work for a while..."

"Yeah," I pressed.

"And well... he's a photographer... So I kinda sorta told him..."

"Told. Him. What?" I asked, enunciating the "t".

"I kinda sorta told him... maybe, you know... I could get him a shoot at _Mauve_...," he finished, his eyes trained on the table.

"You did what?!" I asked, jumping up, ready to strangle him at any moment.

"It's just one photoshoot!" he said, holding his hands up.

"Edward!" I yelled. "This is _Mauve_ Magazine we're talking about here! We can't be hiring some guy off the streets--"

"He's not off the streets," Edward defended.

"Whatever," I complained. "Point is, we can't be hiring some untrained unprofessional to do shoots for very popular designs!"

"Give him a chance," he pleaded.

"Why should I?"

"Because I told him you would."

"WHAT?!"

"One shot! Please, Ness. I'm begging you."

I sighed and leaned back against my chair. Closing my eyes, I said "Tell him to be at the office today at eleven."

Edward leaped up. "Thanks, Ness! You're the best!"

I nodded and sat back up. "Now, let's eat!"

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Bella was waiting for me when I walked up to the office doors at nine. She wore black pants and a white silk button down. Great. Now I'd have to change my whole ensemble just because of her pants! I huffed through the door, ignoring her as she bustled to catch up with me.

"Calls, Mike?" I asked as I walked towards his desk. Lucky him, I decided not to fire him.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, looking at his small thin black computer screen. "A Jacob Black called to confirm your eleven o' clock."

I sighed. This must be the photographer. "Give me the number," I snapped.

He handed me a small white sheet of paper with her number on it. I stormed off into my office, Bella gathering my mail and then following.

"Um... I got you a cappucino," Bella said quietly, handing me the small cup of Starbucks. I examined it and then looked up at her.

"It's a small," I said, glancing between the cup and her.

She blushed and then reached for the cup. "I'm so sorry! I can get--"

"You got it right," I said, shocked. "Nobody ever gets it right on the first try."

Her blush became deeper. "I just figured... you know, you're a fashion editor."

I sighed a sigh of relief and threw my hands up in the air. "Thank you!" I exclaimed. "That's what I keep trying to tell my brother! You two should really hang out! I think you have quite a bit of potential! You may be able to teach him a thing or two."

She smiled and said a quiet thanks. My phone began buzzing and I looked down to see it was one of the fellow designers, Jessica Stanley. What a suck up. I picked the small white phone up and pressed it to my ear.

"What Jessica?" I asked rudely.

"Um... ma'am," she stuttered. "I... I have those new designs... for you..."

I rolled my eyes. "Well? Bring them down to my office!" I slammed the phone back onto the hook. I turned to say to Bella "Amateurs." Bella nodded and then went off to pick up my dry cleaning.

After changing into a brown silk dress, I sat at my desk, playing around with a sketch pad. A nice little outfit was coming up on my pad when the designers strutted in. Cocky, much? Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory, and Angela Weber walked in carrying their designs in their hands. I didn't care much for any of them. Maybe Angela was the most civil out of all of them. She was the one I didn't mind. But the rest I knew would kill for my job. I smirked at the idea. They stood in a straight line at the door of my office.

"Well since you barged in," I complained. "Present! What the hell are you waiting for?"

Jessica Stanley stepped forward, giving some spiel about an "all new _Mauve_ look." Honey, an all new _Mauve_ look doesn't include that thing you wore to work today you like to call an outfit. She wore a white suit. Seriously. What do we call that? Oh yeah. Tacky. And her design was even worse. It looked like something out of a bad Madonna concert. Lauren's was even worse.

"This is what you two give me?!" I asked, looking from Lauren to Jessica. "Jessica, we aren't Madonna! We're _Mauve_! And Lauren?! What are we? Grapes?!" I threw the designs on my desk and pressed my fingers against my temples. "We're supposed to be designers! Not costume people for the circus! Angela, design."

She nodded and set her design down on my desk. I examined it and decided I liked it.

"You see?" I asked, holding up Angela's design for the other two to see. "It's new! It's fresh! Yet it appeals to our audience! It's something they wouldn't be ashamed to wear!" I gathered up Lauren and Jessica's designs and handed them back to them. "Now go back and turn these into something that _humans_ would wear. Maybe even take a little bit of advice from Angela, here. Now, be gone!" I waved them off and they walked out of my office in a trance. I'll admit, I was harsh on my designers. But it was all in good interest. I didn't work so hard to make Mauve one of the top fashion magazines in the world just for it to be torn down by two morons!

My head lay across my desk when Bella returned. She held my dry cleaning in one hand, her car keys in the other. Without a word, she set the dry cleaning down and then came to sit beside me.

"Miss Cullen," she asked. "Are you okay?"

I raised my eyes to meet hers. They had genuine concern in them.

"Stressed, my dear," I muttered, before turning back.

She smiled and then I heard her stand up. "Let's play a game," she suggested.

I raised an eyebrow and looked up at her. "Game?"

"Yes," she insisted. "It will be fun. Since I don't know you, we're going to get to know each other better. Now... how old are you?"

"Twenty-four," I responded, curious to see what she would ask.

"Favorite food?"

"Lobster."

"Favorite animal?"

"Stuffed."

"Favorite color?"

"Whatever is in style."

"Favorite movie?"

I laughed. "Darling, I haven't gone to see a movie since I was a child."

She gasped. "No movies?! Why not?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "I'm far too busy."

She nodded timidly and responded with a simple "I see." And then she gave some excuse about calling to confirm my eleven o' clock. I nodded and dismissed her.

The silence of my office was welcomed. Everyone knows I needed it. Thinking time, I mean. Of course _Mauve_ was busy as ever, with workers rushing by outside my window. Designers, secretaries, reps. Who wouldn't want to be at _Mauve_? Oh right, me. To keep my thoughts focused, I began looking at a new proposal for a theme that Dale, one of the new designers, had proposed. I read the words in italics.

_Fulfillment._

What really did count as _fulfilled_? I was a successful editor of a fashion magazine. Every woman in America wished they were me. My family... well, they were... I had a lovely breakfast with Edward this morning, right? Hey! It's not like I needed them. I had money. I had fashion. I had popularity. Yes, picture perfect life.

***

"No, no, NO! This will never work!" I screamed, ripping up another design sheet. We sat in the conference room after Jessica had called an "emergency conference." Who made her boss? The long horseshoe table was filled with designers and their assistants. Bella sat quietly next to me, ready to hand me coffee at my word.

"We're supposed to be _designers_, Jessica," I hissed.

"We are," she said timidly. "This is my design..."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know we were designing for a child's birthday party!" I snarled. She sank back in her chair.

I held my hand out to Bella for more of my cappucino, which she gladly pressed into my hand. The warmth of the coffee was much like my anger. I pressed my thumb and forefinger on the bridge of my nose. Eventually I released them and took a sip of my cappucino.

I examined another one of her designs before shaking my head and slamming her book back down on the table. Bella took my cappucino and rose beside me, probably in an attempt to calm me. Well it wasn't working!

"I don't understand," I muttered, shaking my head. I looked up to address my staff, my voice rising. "I don't understand how you can throw this all out! This is an honor to be a designer for _Mauve_! Stop acting like children and start focusing! Your work is your main priority!"

I stormed out of the room, leaving a room full of stressed staff members. They _should_ be stressed. We were working on a deadline! Five models stood in the foyer waiting in their assigned outfits. The only outfits we really had done since beginning this issue! I waved them off towards the back room for them to wait for the shoot. Sighing, I plopped myself down in one of the soft red chairs in the foyer. I held the proposal for the magazine in my perfectly maniured hands.

"Rough day?" a male's voice asked.

I turned to see a tall man with well built muscles. He had short black hair and russet skin. Glistening teeth sparkled beneath his lips which were turned up in a smile.

I sighed. "Amateurs."

He sat in the chair to the right of me. "Oh, I think you should give them a chance?"

I laughed. "I've given them many. If they want to work here, they have to step up their game."

He caught sight of the proposal. "What's that," he inquired.

I rolled my eyes. "Nosy much?"

The man snatched the packet from me before I had a chance to hide it.

"Fulfillment?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned to look at me. "Are you fulfilled?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I am! I'm Renesmee Cullen for God's sakes! I'm rich, on top of the fashion world, and completely happy. I just scream fulfillment?"

He chortled.

"What's so funny?" I snapped.

"Well...," he said. "Don't you think fulfillment can be different? Like family, marriage?"

I looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "I don't believe in love," I stated simply.

He grinned a huge sparkly grin. "Don't believe in love, eh?"

"No," I spat. "Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "How many times do I have to walk past you for you to believe in not only love, but love at first sight."

I popped up, angry with this man. "Excuse me?!" I asked.

He stood up and began to strut in front of me. I snatched my book back.

"I suggest you get whatever you need and then get the hell out," I snapped.

His grin grew into a smirk. "Okay."

As I turned to walk away, he grabbed my shoulder and turned me back towards him.

"I'm Jacob Black. The photographer," he introduced himself.

I was going to kill Edward.

**Author's Note: Yup. So I updated fairly quickly, right? What do you think? Leave a review?**

**_Run, baby, run! Don't ever look back. They'll tear us apart if you give them the chance. Don't sell your heart. Don't say we're not meant to be. Run, baby, run. Forever will be you and me... _Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	3. Blondie and the Pixie

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**I do not own Twilight.**

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_The princess raced down the long snaking hallways of her palace. She was angry-- no, pissed! Heads were surely going to roll.  
"EDWARD!" she screamed, slamming open the door to his room. He lay across his large elegant queen bed.  
"Knock, much?" he asked, setting down the maroon covered book he was holding onto his bed.  
"Why didn't you warn me?" she yelled.  
Prince Edward raised a thick eyebrow. "Warn you about what?"  
The new servant, Jacob, sprang up from behind the princess.  
"Him," she hissed through her teeth._

"Why didn't you tell me what he looked like?!" I whisper-yelled into my desk phone.  
Edward let out a small laugh. "Why? Is he oh-so-dreamy?!"  
"No!" I lied. "I just... it would have been nice if you had warned me! He's a total jerk!"  
The line was silent, and I could tell he was smirking on the other end.  
"You like him," he said finally.  
Ugh! How could I like someone like... Jacob Black? I barely knew him! But he was a jerk. A jerk who I would laugh if I watched him die a painful and horrible death.  
"I do not!" I bellowed into the small white phone. "He's annoying as hell!"  
Jessica's assistant, Marc, stopped by my door when he heard me yelling. I waved him away with my hand, trying to cover the heat that was rushing to my face. If I were a cartoon, my face would be bright red with anger, and I didn't want to be the gossip of Mauve.  
"Then why are you calling me?" he inquired.  
I sighed. There was no getting through to my brother.  
"You listen here, Edward Cullen," I said threateningly into my phone. "You get your pale white ass down here so I can kick it. Then, if I'm feeling merciful, I'll kill you."  
I heard a gasp from the doorway and turned to see Bella standing there, her eyes wide with horror. Great. I just scared the assistant.  
"Sounds like you're in trouble," Edward chuckled from the other end.  
"Edwa--"  
"See ya, sis," he said. I heard a click and then a long uninterrupted beep.  
"EDWARD!" I screamed at the phone. "UGH!" I slammed it down on the receiver and plopped down into my chair.  
Bella slowly approached my desk. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just... I didn't mean--I mean I just-- It was accident that I--"  
"It's fine," I said, holding up a hand to silence her. "That was my brother."  
She released a sigh of relief and her hand flew to her heart. "Oh, good! I thought you were making death threats!" She set a binder full of papers down on my desk. "These are some of the new designs Angela has been working on. They're actually fairly good... but who am I to say so? Anyway, Mr. Black is done with the shoot and wants to see you right away."  
I stood up and straightened out my light brown silk dress. Grabbing the binder, I began issuing orders. "Very well. Call Kate Howard and tell her we will not be doing a partnership with Crimson." I began walking out of my office. "And call Fredrico. Tell him I have eight designs and I need him to work his magi and make them into clothing." Bella followed after me and took notes. "And Bella. A Slim Fast protein shake would be appreciated now-- I've had too much coffee. No need to grab it now now, but soon." She nodded and walked off to start on her work.  
"Renesmee," Jacob's voice greeted me from behind. This caused me to jump and shriek.  
"Goodness, Mr. Black!" I yelled. "Do you want me to have a heart attack?"  
He grinned like a child. "You called me Mr. Black. I feel very official."  
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mr. Black. That's what we do in the world of professionals. And I would appreciate it if you would call me Miss Cullen."  
"Oh come on, babe," he urged. He called me "babe" just to piss me off. Well, it was working. "Live a little."  
I smacked him with my pitch black binder. "Don't call me 'babe.' I am a strong, professional woman. Not some... prostitute!"  
His grin grew larger, showing off his lovely cheekbones. "I'd like to see that."  
I gasped and made my way down the halls. "If you're not going to behave like an adult, I'm not going to give you the time of day."

He held his arms up and yelled "Come on babe! Don't be like that!"

I spun around on my heel, very much aware of the eyes of the workers around us.

"Get back to work!" I reprimanded the very lazy workers. They straightened up and then strode off their separate ways. I took a few steps closer to Jacob, my glare set to kill.

"Considering the fact that I'm giving you a second chance," I said. "I would not push the envelope."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on. Don't you have any adventure in ya?"

I laughed. "I am a world famous fashion editor! My life is plenty exciting, thank you very much!"

He crossed his arms across his broad chest and tipped his chin at me in a challenging sort of way. "What was the last adventure you had, eh?"

I snorted nervously. "I don't have anything to explain to _you_."

A smirk crossed his lips. "That's because you know I'm right."

Angrily, I slammed my heel onto the floor, making it snap. I muttered a curse word and turned to go scrounge up a pair of shoes. Jacob grabbed my arm with his warm hands and spun me around to face him.

"Prove me wrong." he challenged. "Join me for a drink this evening. My treat. None of this 'Mr. Black, Miss Cullen' shit. Just you and me, Renesmee and Jake."

My eyes drifted to the ceiling, trying to hold back the snide bitchy remark I wanted so badly to make.

"As fun as that sounds," I said sarcastically. "I think I'll pass."

I stormed off down the now silent hallways, giving all of the staring workers death glares as I passed. That made them run. Once I was in the comfort of my office, I sank into my large (and rather comfortable) snowy white office chair. A sigh escaped my throat as I shut my eyes and tried to ignore the very annoying--yet insanely gorgeous-- man who just walked into my life. I was going to kill Edward once I got off of work. I already knew how, too!

"Oh. My. God!" a girl's voice squealed. The sudden sound made me jump. I looked to my door to find a petite girl with black spiky hair and a blonde girl standing wide eyed at my door. The girl with black spiky hair was bobbing up and down, clapping her tin hands in excitement. Blondie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Alice," Blondie said. "Chill. I don't see the big deal. She's not a wax figurine, you know. She's just a fashion editor. A person. Not God."

The girl with black hair, who I assumed was Alice, playfully shoved Blondie as she raced into my office, studying the designs sitting on the easels. Her minuscule ivory fingers traced over the designs, admiring each detail. Blondie followed her in, watching as Alice giggled over the designs. Wow. I didn't know _Mauve_'s designs were _that_ powerful.

I stood up, stabbing a finger in the girls' direction. "Who are you?" I demanded. "Don't make me call security!"

Alice stepped back, holding up her hands. Blondie rolled her eyes, once again crossing her arms over her chest in a defiant way.

"We're friends of your new intern, Bella," Blondie snapped. "I'm Rosalie, and this is Alice. We came to pick Bella up for lunch. Jeez. Why are _you_ so testy?"

I laughed in a bitchy sort of way. "You have no idea what hell I've gone through these past few days." I stepped out from behind my desk, pointing at some of the crappier designs. "My designers keep giving me the most _repulsive_ designs. One of them thinks they're me! And I'm tired of getting lip from people!"

Rosalie became quiet, her arms still crossed tightly across her torso. Alice looked up at me, her eyes pitiful.

"We're sorry," she apologized. "We had no idea... It's just that I'm a huge fan---"

"Alice," Rosalie said to her friend. "Let's just go find Bella."

She shot me a glare before storming out of my office, tugging Alice along with her. I turned on my computer and began digging around my messy desk for a pen. In the pen container, wrapped around a dark blue fountain pen, was a small deep purple scrap of paper. Written on it, in blue sharpie and messy handwriting that could only belong to a man, was one word.

_Drinks?_

"Yeah right!" I yelled at the tiny sheet of paper, ripping it up into tiny pieces. Tossing it into the trash can, I brushed back my dark brown curls. I paced out of my office, ready to kill the first person I saw. I replaced my shoes with brown flats, so I could do it without snapping a heel. Bella ran up to me, carrying a Slim Fast protein shake. I sighed and took it from her, not making any contact with her, just storming down the halls, scanning the halls for Jacob. And there he was. At the front desk, flirting with Jessica. Anger flared up inside me, heat burning up my sides and into my face.

"Jessica!" I scolded, stomping over towards her. She was in the middle of flipping her tight dark curls when she heard me. She spun around at the speed of light, stiffening a little when she caught sight of my glare.

"Considering the fact that you have yet to give me a legitimate design," I warned. "I would really be working on it, not flirting with the photographer. Understood?"

She nodded and ran off towards her office, Marc following at her heels. I turned to give Jacob a dark angry glare. He grinned impishly, relishing in the fact that I was just about to kill Jacob. Ha! Not like I would do it for him!

"What?!" I snapped.

That only make him show more teeth. "You were jealous," he accused.

A laugh escaped my mouth. I hoped he couldn't tell the hint of nervousness in it.

"I didn't want her here when I killed you," I said, my eyes narrowing.

He chuckled. "Like my note?"

My mouth dropped, anger welling up inside of me. What a jerk! "No!" I complained. "I did not! It was extremely immature, not to mention inappropriate!"

"So is that a yes?" he asked, his gaze challenging.

I stepped forward, centimeters away from him. "That," I said seductively. "is a HELL NO!" I slammed my heel down onto the top of his foot, making him leap up to grab it. I turned and whisked down the hallway, my dark curls blowing behind me.

"Feisty!" he called after me. "That's alright! I like them that way!"

**Author's Note: Haha, I love Nessie and her stubborn-ness. Well, there ya go. Rosalie and Alice's introductions were in this chapter. I don't know if nervousness is a word, but... it is now! Lol. So yeah, sorry it's kinda short (for NMF standards). And the beginning is single spaced because originally I wrote part of this in a blank email and then copied and pasted into here. I couldn't fix it... sorry! It annoyed the crap out of me, but you know! I kinda like Edward in this story. Well, I loved him in the first place. But I like his character. He's very... I don't know. Fun, I guess. Lol. But I'm really excited about this story, and I hope you are too. Pass it on to a friend LOL. No, jk. You don't have to (but I'd love you forever if you did!). Next chapter by next Saturday for sure! I still have Accidentally, House of Cards, and My Missing Piece to get out. MMP more than the others, considering how bad my updating has been (sorry MMP fans!). I wanted to use another song below, but I thought of this song, and it reminded me of Jacob and Nessie. Didn't know the lyrics until just now though. They're... weird. Lol, Uptown Girl by Billy Joel! Check it out ;)**

**_I'm gonna try for an uptown girl! She's been living in her white bread world! As long as anyone with hot blood can! And now she's looking for a downtown man. That's what I am... _Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	4. Steak Knife

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**I do not own Twilight.**

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_A princess without a prince. It could happen, right? Princess Renesmee was perfectly happy the way she was. No man could hold her down, especially not a servant!_

_"Princess! Princess!" Bella called, running down the long stone hallways of the palace._

_Princess Renesmee sighed and turned to her royal adviser. "What, peasant?"_

_Bella was out of breath when she reached the princess, crouching to rest her hands on her knees. "Royal... cook... coming... you..."_

_"Spit it out, Bella!" the princess demanded._

_Bella stood up and swallowed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Jacob, the royal cook, is coming. He wants to see you!"_

_The princess's mouth dropped. She stormed over to the large wooden door and slammed it shut. Bella pulled the drapes shut, squeezing her eyes shut._

_"I thought I banished him!" the princess shrieked, her arms thrown in the air._

_"You can't keep me away," the royal cook said as he lounged casually across her bed._

_Princess Renesmee let out a loud ear-piercing scream._

_"AHH!"_

"AHH!" I screamed, barging through the door of Edward's apartment. Emmett opened the door to their shared apartment. Edward, the poor coward, was probably hiding.

"Where. Is. He?" I snarled.

Emmett shrugged. "I don't know," he lied.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor sucker. He was my favorite brother, too. Emmett was tall and muscular, with short, curly brown hair. Most people would sat he was like a bear, but we all know he was more of a teddy bear. His eyes, much like mine, were a chocolate brown. Everyone loved Emmett, he was so pleasant to be around... too bad I was going to have to murder him.

"Nessie," Leah said, following me through the door. "Calm down. He probably just went to the bathroom."

"Bathroom my ass!" I screeched. "EDWARD! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK IT!"

I began scanning their apartment, behind the large (and rather ugly) cardboard-brown couch, underneath Edward's shiny coal black piano, in the small rooms. Nothing! I turned to see the cherry brown door to their bathroom shut and locked. A bright light seeped out through the bottom of the door. I began to bang my fist furiously against the door.

"OPEN UP YOU STUPID BASTARD! I NEED TO KILL YOU!"

Emmett scooped me up from beneath my arms as I kicked and wailed. Leah stifled a giggle as she attempted to give me some of my protein shake.

"Sip, sip," she urged, poking the straw through my lips. Like the good girl I am, I sucked in, swallowed... then continued my fit.

"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A--"

"NESSIE!" Emmett scolded.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not six anymore, Emmett. I can say--"

"No," he corrected. "You can't!"

I settled down, hoping to convince Emmett I was over it.

"Emmett," I said sweetly. "I'm okay, now. You can let me go."

_Creak..._

The restroom door opened a moment later and Edward began to tiptoe out. His normal emerald green eyes were squeezed shut. As if that would help!

"BASTARD!" I called, struggling against Emmett.

"Hun, hun," Leah soothed. "Calm down! Don't kill him... you'll regret killing him in the morning."

"YOU SET ME UP!" I screeched. "YOU SENT HIM IN BECAUSE... I DON'T NEED A MAN IN MY LIFE, EDWARD!"

Edward had an amused expression on his face as he leaned up against the olive green wall, his arms crossed across his chest.

"I didn't set you up," he said innocently.

I calmed down, but was still set to pounce when Emmett's grip loosened.

"Yes, you did. You sent him in just to make my life hellish. Take your little friend back!"

Edward held his hands up. "He needed a job. He's really not that bad if you get to know him." He wagged his eyebrows. "I'm sure you would like that. You know, Ness? To _really_ know him."

"Shut. Up." I growled. "I don't have feelings for him-- stop trying to force them on me!"

I slid out of Emmett's grip, my eyes burning a hole in Edward's face. If looks could kill...

"I didn't say you had to have feelings for him," he defended. "Not everyone has feelings for people they sleep with."

"I will never sleep with Jacob Black," I hissed. "He called me 'babe.' Then, he asked me out for drinks. You _so_ owe me... big time."

"Ooh," Edward said, waving his hands in the air. "Scary. So, how did you end up punishing him?"

I raised a neatly plucked eyebrow. "Punishing him?"

"Getting back," Edward chuckled.

My gaze locked on the floor as a blush colored my cheeks. "I... stomped on his foot," I admitted.

Leah and Emmett burst out laughing, Emmett's grip loosening on my arm. Edward gave me an arrogant smirk.

"What?!" I snapped.

"Childish, much?" Edward asked, his smirk still on his face.

My face turned tomato red as I began to scream. "I AM NOT CHILDISH! YOU DECIDED TO SICK YOUR LITTLE PERVERT ON ME!"

Edward shrugged. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. You should be thanking me, baby sis."

"UGH!" I groaned, storming out of their tiny apartment. From the doorway, I added. "YOU'RE SO IMMATURE!" Leah followed me as I stomped down the hallway and down the flight of stairs.

"This is so like him!" I grumbled. "He's so infuriating! Just like his friend!"

Leah perked up. "Friend? Jacob's his friend? Why didn't you tell me? Is he cute? What's he look like? Do you think he has a--"

"If you say brother," I interrupted. "I _will_ smack you."

Leah sniffed. "I was going to say_ cousin_. Jeez, Ness. _Cousin_."

We hailed a brilliant yellow taxi and drove down the streets of New York City to my apartment.

"I don't know," I admitted. "And quite honestly, I don't care!"

She rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Ness. You need to learn to embrace this. A cute guy wants to take you out, buy you a drink, and maybe... well... you know, afterwards."

"Leah!" I scolded.

She leaned her head back and laughed softly. "I'm just saying. Why not go for it? He's not asking you to marry him. He just wants to buy you a drink. What could you possibly lose?"

I pressed my finger to my chin sarcastically. "Hmm. Let me think. My dignity, my sanity, my lunch!"

She sighed. "Ness, sometimes, I really wonder. Would it really hurt just to go on one measly date?"

"Yes!" I shot back. "A date with Jacob Black would be... dreadful. Just thinking about it makes me cringe!"

Leah sighed. "You'll never know until you try, Ness. You'll never know. Sooner or later, it will happen."

"I pick later," I sneered.

* * *

The silence of my penthouse wrapped me in a pillow of bliss. This was the first time in days I'd really gotten to relax. I sighed contentedly as I leaned back into my soft snowy white couch. My shoes lay in a heap beneath my now bare feet, right near my crystal clear glass coffee table. Heat radiated off of my warm ceramic cup of coffee, steam encircling my pasty white face. Best moment ever. Easily.

"NESSIE!" someone yelled, pounding their fist against my penthouse door. Well, easy come, easy go, right?

I groaned as I sat up, trudging towards the bleach white door. Upon opening it, Edward bound through the door and into my small foyer.

"Edward," I growled. "What the hell could you possibly want?"

He held his hands up in defeat. "Look, I know you may be angry--"

"Angry?!" I scoffed. "Edward, I would stab you with a steak knife except it wouldn't be fair for the steak knife to have Edward guts on it!"

I trembled with fury. The nerve of my brother!

"Edward guts," he asked. "Never mind. Look. He needed a job. Despite what you may think, I didn't think he would--"

"He would what, Edward?!" I spat. "Hit on me? Embarrass me? Make me look so unprofessional! Edward, this is my job! I've worked too hard to be knocked down about five pegs! UGH!"

I strode off into the kitchen, leaning over the sink. I poured the coffee down the drain of the gray steel sink, watching as the brown liquid mixed with the running water and seeped through the holes in the drain. Grabbing some Pamolive Green Apple dish soap, I squirted some onto my cup and carefully cleaned it, wiping every inch. Of course, I had a maid, but I wanted to avoid my brother as much as possible. I heard the screech of the large white chairs against the clean white tiles, and his large fingers drumming on the glass table top. The table was right next to the long sliding glass door to the balcony, giving a scenic view of the nightlife of New York City. Once the cup was perfectly cleaned and put away, I turned to look at my brother. His jacket was laid across the back of his chair. Huh. It seemed really easy to envision him with bright red horns and a fiery tail. I softly laughed to myself at the thought. My elbows rested behind my torso on the granite countertops as I leaned back against them.

"Look, Ness," he said quietly, not noticing my silent laugh. "I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."

I sniffed and rolled my eyes. "Well, you were wrong. It _is_ a big deal, Edward. You know I don't buy into that... fairy tale mumbo jumbo." I carried over a glass dish of cranberry-orange scones, set them on the table, and took a seat across from him. Grabbing a scone, I carefully began picking at it.

He snatched one of the immensely large scones from their dish. "Maybe that's your problem."

I blinked. "How is that my problem?"

"Maybe you should start believing in fairy tales. Maybe you should start believing someone is out there for you."

I rolled my eyes. "I _did_. Keyword: _did_. You _know_ what James did to Victoria. She never married after that, never even dated! How can I trust someone after that, Edward? How can I believe that... that someone is out there for me? No one is, Edward. I'm perfectly fine with--"

"With being married to your job?" he asked. "Come on, Ness. We both know that's bullshit. What about your missing piece?"

I set my dry treat down. "Victoria's missing piece tore her life apart like a house of cards."

"Come on," he urged. "Be fearless. Beat the odds. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Uh, I could look totally unprofessional. I could accidentally make the worst mistake of my life. Edward, I'm not one of those girls to fall head over heels in love with someone. You know that," I argued.

He sighed. "Come on, Nessie. He may be really good for you. Just... give him a shot, please?"

I turned to stare out the window at the city lights. Few people were out, walking on the street. Most were dressed up, walking in pairs with their dates.

"Edward, this is not my fairytale," I muttered.

He sighed and grabbed his black leather jacket from the back of his seat. "Whatever, sis. Your choice. Just remember what I said, okay?"

I paused a moment before nodding. "O-okay."

I sat in the kitchen while he escorted himself out. The door automatically locked behind itself, so I didn't worry about walking after him. I didn't need to put up the security lock, tonight. Robbers couldn't afford to get past the security. Edward was a "VIP" member, so of course they had to let him in. Hm. I should really change that.

After shutting the drapes in the kitchen, showering, and changing, I lay in my king sized bed, staring at my dark ceiling. The gold comforter covered my body as I tossed and turned, trying to find some sort of comfort that night. Nothing could make me fall asleep. Edward's words replayed in my mind. Then, I thought of Leah.

You'll never know if you don't try.

She was right. I would never know. Just to guarantee that I would never fall for anyone. Just to prove myself. I grabbed my cell phone and called Bella. It was eleven at night, but that shouldn't matter, right?

"Hello?" Bella answered groggily.

"Bella?" I responded. "I need the number of Jacob Black, please."

"Uh... uh...," she sounded genuinely shocked. "Okay..."

It took her a moment to give me the number. I thanked her and hung up. After hanging up, I called my best friend.

"Leah," I asked.

"Yeah, Nessie?" she groaned. "It's midnight. What do you want?"

"Uh... it's eleven, Leah," I protested. "Fix your clock."

"It's still late," she persisted. "What do you want?"

I began twiddling my thumbs. She was my best friend, but how was I to tell her? "Well... why can't I just call to chat?"

She snorted on the other end of the line. "I know you, Nessie. Just spit it out."

I shut my eyes and sighed. She was right. Best friends could hide nothing from each other.

"I... I decided to take Jacob Black up on his... his offer," I whispered, studying the cream colored fibers in my carpet.

A loud squeal burst through the phone. "REALLY?! THAT'S GREAT!"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "I'm only doing this to prove something to Edward."

"And what would that be?" she asked. I could imagine that she was smirking.

"That I will never, EVER, fall in love," I retorted. "And wipe that smirk off of your face!"

"How do you know I'm smirking?!"

"I'm your best friend, Lee-Lee. I know everything."

"Stalker."

"Whatever. I'm going over to Esme's for breakfast tomorrow. Want to come? I'm going to need a 'fat coach.' Esme tries stuffing everything down my throat."

"Sure. See ya then."

I set my black iPhone down on the creamy white nightstand. Shutting my eyes, I drifted off to a much needed slumber.

**Author's Note: Sorry for my ramble attack from the final conversation with Edward downwards. But did you get it? They were saying the titles of my stories. I was bored, LOL. So sorry for the long wait! Uh... what else was I going to say? I don't know. I think that's it. Oh! Question and answer still open! Go on Psychic-Porsche-3's (Laurel) profile and ask her questions too! **

**.net/u/1799625/Psychic-Porsche-3 Paste it after the fanfiction! NOW! Or I cry.**

**I got a whole list from one reviewer (not mentioning any names...****Fantabulicious xx3**** COUGH COUGH!) that made me chuckle. Thank you! Anyhoo, so yeah. Thanks for your patience :D**

**_Hold on tight, it's a roller-coaster ride we're on! So, say goodbye, 'cause we won't be back again! Up and down, you're all around! Say, goodnight and goodbye..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	5. Diva

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**I do not own Twilight.**

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_The princess felt stupid. She wished she had the excuse of drugs. At least _that_ could be an excuse for the insane thing she was about to do._

_The royal cook stood in front of the crackling fire pit, turning the golden brown chicken that hung above it on a stick. The scent was quite appetizing, but not enough to soothe the princess. Bella stood behind the princess, egging her on._

_"Jacob," the princess announced. "I've decided to--"_

_Just then, the royal slut came running through the doors, wearing a short, and rather torn, brown skirt and a white sleeveless top._

_"JAKEY!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around him._

_The princess was angered. Her normally chocolate brown eyes turned a devilish red._

_"Yes, Princess?" the cook asked Princess Renesmee._

_She sighed, looking down at the floor. "Get back to work." She turned on her heel, stomping out of the room._

"Renesmee! Leah! Come in! Please!"

It was a rainy Friday morning as I stood in the warm, dry hall of my parents' apartment building. Leah and I held dripping black umbrellas. Droplets of rain sat on our silky raincoats. My mother stood in the doorway of her apartment, motioning for Leah and I to come in. We smiled in thanks as we passed her up and headed into their small apartment. Carlisle, my father, sat at the kitchen table in the far left corner, reading this morning's paper. Jasper, my cousin, sat next to him, scarfing down a bagel.

"Hey Dad, Jazz," I greeted them, shoving my umbrella into the broom closet beside the large oak door.

My dad waved, his icy blue eyes never leaving the light gray paper in front of his nose.

"Well, if it isn't Cousin Nessie!" Jazz yelled, his mouth still full with his bagel. He leaped off of the short wooden chair and wrapped me in a hug. "And her little friend, Leah!"

"You should really swallow your food. That's disgusting," I complained.

He held up a slim ivory finger as he swallowed his food.

"Better?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and he smirked.

"Now, as I was about to say," he began. "Leah!" He scooped Leah up and spun her around. Leah giggled.

"Hey, Jazz," she said.

I ignored their happy little party and took a seat next to my dad. I pressed my finger down on the top of the paper, making it bend backwards, revealing my face.

"Anything interesting?" I asked, glancing down at the wad of tiny words scribbled on the paper.

"Nothing to take my attention away from my little girl," he announced, setting the paper down and wrapping me in a hug.

I laughed. "Thanks, Daddy."

Esme sat down beside me, a white ceramic cup of coffee in her hands.

"Well, honey, how's the magazine business coming?" she inquired.

I sighed. My folded hands rested on the table as I examined them carefully.

"Dreadful," I admitted. "The designers won't come up with any usable designs. Mike, the secretary at the front desk, keeps flirting with the models instead of taking calls or buzzing guests in. We have three weeks until our deadline for the next issue, and nothing's prepared to be sent to print. Oh! And on top of that, Edward's stalkerish friend keeps asking me out!"

"Oh my," Esme exclaimed. "What are you going to do?"

I shook my head. "The dumbest thing possible... I decided to take him up on his offer."

"Did I hear Little Nessie is going out on... on a... GASP! A date?!" Jazz asked mockingly. Leah and he took a seat across from me.

I crumbled up my napkin and tossed it at him. "Shut up, you-- moron!" I quickly threw in the last part, for my parent's sake of course. "It's just to make him go away. That's all."

"Who is this boy?" Carlisle growled, his face suddenly angered.

"Jacob Black," I told him through gritted teeth. Just the mention of his name angered me. "Blame your 'son', Edward."

"'Son'?" Esme asked, putting the quotes around "son".

I twirled my crystal glass of water around, watching the frosty cubes cling to the sides of the cup. "We all know you adopted him from a pack of baboons."

Esme sighed. "I wish you children would just get along..."

I slammed my glass down on the table, making ice and water splatter out over the top. "Tell _him_ that!"

Carlisle put a comforting hand on me.

"Renesmee...," he said quietly. "He's your brother. You'll have to forgive him sooner or later."

"I choose later," I snapped, crossing my arms across my chest.

Leah squealed and popped up from her chair, pointing her finger at me. "I KNEW SHE'D SAY THAT! JAZZ, YOU SO OWE ME TWENTY BUCKS!" She began hopping up and down and danced around the room.

Jasper sighed and pulled out his wallet. "Damn, Ness. I just lost twenty bucks! Stop being so predictable!"

"Children," I mumbled.

I grabbed a fresh apricot from the bowl in the center of the table and hatily bit into it, glaring at the two people I despised right now. The chunk crunched beneath my pearly white teeth. Being so angry, I could taste nothing. Swallowing, I set the sweet smelling fruit down. My phone began ringing, Lady Gaga's Poker Face playing at full blast. I dug into the yellow tote bag by my side. It matched with the snowy white leggings and yellow babydoll I was wearing. The ID read: Bella Swan Calling. Ugh. Work. Reluctantly, I answered.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Miss Cullen?" Bella called, frantic.

"Who else, Bella?" I spat.

"Sorry, ma'am," she apologized. "I just-- Well it's just-- You know, I wasn't-- I thought maybe--"

"Bella, cut to why you called."

"There's an emergency. With the models. And Mr. Black."

Jacob! I should have known it was him!

"I'll be right down," I said, pressing the end button. I motioned to Leah. "Leah, we're going."

She pouted, holding up her half-eaten bagel. "But I didn't--"

"There's an emergency at work, Lee," I stated.

She sighed, turning to hug everyone. "Goodbye!"

"LEAH!" I scolded, already at the door, belongings in hand.

She sighed, mumbling something like "diva" under her breath. Jasper let out a small chuckle, picking up the remainder of Leah's half-eaten bagel and stuffing it down his throat.

* * *

"JACOB!" I roared as the doors slammed behind me. Bella silently scampered to my side.

"Miss Cullen...," she said quietly. "He's not--"

"Where is that son of a bitch?!" I growled. "I'M GOING TO HANG HIM BY HIS HIDE!"

"Aww, I assume you're looking for me."

Jacob stood inside the round desk in the center where Mike sat. Jake's arms were crossed and a smirk was playing on his lips.

My Jimmy Choos slammed into the ground as I stormed up to Jake, my perfectly manicured finger pointed.

"What the hell did you do?" I asked, my eyes narrowed.

He shrugged. "You tell me."

"JAKE!" Genevieve Richardson, one of our models squealed. She clanked across the room in her shimmering black heels and short black cocktail dress, making a supermodel strut. Once she reached Jake, she wrapped her arms around his neck seductively, and whispered something into his ear. I stared in shock, while his smirk got bigger.

"GENEVIEVE!" I scolded, my eyes burning with anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

Genevieve stepped back, now noticing my presence. "M-Miss Cullen. I-I'm sorry. I-I-I---"

I held up my hand, turning away from her. "Genevieve, remember, you work for me. If you want to have a... private moment-- with Mr. Black, please, do it after hours. That is completely unprofessional. I could fire you, you know! Genevieve, you were nothing before _Mauve_! I can easily take away your only source of income!"

"No! Miss Cullen, please! It won't happen again," she reasoned, her eyes distressed.

I crossed my arms. "Why should I believe you're _Mauve_ material? How are your actions supposed to prove you're what we need here?"

"Please, Miss Cullen," she pleaded. "I'll try harder! Please, I need this job!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and breathed deeply. "You can keep it. For now. Go before I change my mind."

She clapped her hands and raced back down the halls.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Bella murmured timidly. "The models have been fauning all over him."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, meeting Jacob's glare.

"Bitchy, much?" he asked, obviously amused.

I pursed my lips together and narrowed my eyes. Without responding, I stormed off down the hallway.

"Hey!" he called. He ran in front of me and began walking backwards. "I was kidding. Jeez. Do you have a sense of humor at _all?"_

I stopped, my eyes boring holes into his face. "No, Jacob. I'm sorry! I just can't seem to find the humor in someone calling me a bitch!" My chest heaved up and down with anger.

His devilish smirk returned. "Jealous?"

"Of what?!" I demanded.

He bobbed his head in the direction of where Genevieve headed.

My mouth dropped open as my eyes got larger. No words were able to come out of my mouth. Shocked! That's what I was! Instead of standing there and making even more of a fool out of myself, I shut my mouth and continued walking, my eyes trained on my offfice in the far distance.

"Hey!" he called, yet again. "I was kidding!"

This time, I continued walking, longing for the sanctuary of my office. I felt a warm hand wrap itself around the top of my arm. I shut my eyes, not turning towards him.

"Why won't you just give me a chance?" he asked. "What are you afraid of?"

I turned to face him. "Nothing. I'm worried about_ you_. Don't you think I'm a terrible bitch like the rest of them?" I gestured to the direction of the _Mauve_ workers.

He stared into my eyes, searching for something. Finally, he replied, "No. There's something more to you."

"Something more?" I asked, astonished. There was nothing more! "Are you on crack or something?"

Amusement lit up his eyes as he smiled. "You're still very stubborn."

"Stubborn?!" I scoffed. "I am not stubborn! I am the opposite of stubborn! I'm just a happy-go-lucky kind of girl!"

I picked up the pace and walked as quickly as I could and into my office, letting the glass door drop behind me. A quiet thump told me he followed me in. I leaned over my desk, pretending to examine designs.

"I don't get why you're so... so... unwilling to open up," he urged.

I rolled my eyes and picked up a random design.

"Jake," I said. "You know _nothing_ about me, 'kay? You don't know what I've been through."

"Well," he replied. "I'd like to find out."

"No," I mumbled, while examining the somewhat decent design. "You won't."

"Yes," he pressed. "I would."

This infuriated me. This--this--man, who knew nothing about me, wants the latest scoop on my gossip. The now insignificant design dropped out from beneath my pale white fingertips and the papers scattered across the white and orange tiled floor.

"Let me tell you something," I spat, venom trickling in my voice. "I am not some broken soul that you can mend! I am a successful, independent woman, for your information! I'll be damned if I end up playing damsel in distress! And I am not a fucking bitch!"

He took a step closer, challenging me. "Prove it."

I stomped my heel down, inching my body and head closer. "Fine. I will!"

"Go out for drinks with me. Tonight. Eight thirty. The Tip Bar." He stepped closer. "Unless you're scared."

"I'll be there," I said, pushing my face towards him.

"Good," he said forcefully, pushing his head closer.

"Perfect," I snapped.

Our heads both whipped around at the same time as we stormed off in our separate ways, opposite each other. I could have sworn I saw a slight smirk on his face. But do you know what the weird thing is?

I didn't realize what I was going to do until later.

I was going on a date with the one, the only:

Jackass.

**Author's Note: Hehe. I was going to edit this, but I don't have the patience. What do you think? Nessie was kinda softer in the last chapter and a few points in this one, but at the end, she turned back into the full on bitch that we love! Anyhoo, uber sorry it took so long! More drama ensues in the soap opera that is my life. Someday I should really write a book on my life. Then last night was the bells festival, and it was REALLY long. And I started writing this Saturday, but then I had an idea for a story about Nessie and Emmett that was mainly fluff but was stuck in my head so I wrote it down. I'll probably never publish it, but then again, maybe. You can all see what stupidness goes on in my head. Q&A with me and Psychic-Porsche-3 (Laurel) continues! Ask a question, get a response. We are posting the responses on the profile of our joint account which is La Smarticles. We'll keep you in the loop on when that is going to happen.**

**_Na, na, na, diva is a female version of a hustla. Of a hustla, of a, of a hustla! Na, na, na, diva is a female version of a hustla! Of a hustla, of a, of a hustla... _Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	6. Elvis

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

_The princess examined her flawless royal blue ball gown. She turned to her side as the oak rimmed mirror showed her her perfect and uncut beauty._

_"You look lovely, your majesty," Bella said from the doorway._

_"Hmm," the princess regarded the comment, still looking in the mirror. "I better."_

_She turned towards Bella. "Bring the glass slippers."_

_Bella whistled and two of the royal maids dressed in their rags and aprons came prancing in, carrying the shiny, clear shoes in on a satin pillow. The princess plucked them off the pillow and examined them._

_"Lovely," she murmured._

_"Yes. You are."_

_The princess turned to see the royal cook at the door. She made a noise of disgust as she turned away, sitting down on the golden king sized bed._

_"Jacob," she mumbled. "What's with the corny lines?"_

_"Well," he said. "This is a fairytale, right?"_

_"Not mine," she grunted._

_Once her shoes were placed on her feet, she reluctantly linked arms with Jacob and strode off down the palace and into the golden horse drawn carriage._

The moonlit streets of New York City were busy with bar buzzers and young couples out for some midnight love, with the occasional media following my tracks. I wrapped my black cloth coat tighter around my torso. Underneath, I wore a short midnight blue cocktail dress with matching designer heels.

My heels clicked on the ground as I walked shamefully to my impending doom. This was so embarassing! I give in too easily.

I walked into the tall black edifice which was the Tip Bar. Taking the elevator upstairs, I heaved deep breaths as I prepared myself. For him. For the media. I could already hear heavy music pounding through the doors. The gray steel doors opened onto the top of the building. A long bar was set up towards the edge of the building. There was, of course, a glass separater on the edge of the building, giving you a view of those at the bottom of New York City, rushing home from their jobs. Glass tables were scattered across the top. And at one of the bar tables, with two shots of tequila, was, you guessed it.

Jacob Black.

I pushed away my reservations as I continued my sassy strut to the table. He turned around and smirked.

"I didn't think you would come," he told me. "What made you change your mind?"

"I said I would," I snapped, tossing myself into the chair next to him. "Renesmee Cullen keeps her promises."

I snatched up one of the small gold rimmed shot glasses as I chugged one down. Ordering a martini from the bar tender, I kept my eyes trained on the black bar table top. The bar tender set the awkwardly shaped glass down in front of me. An olive hung on the side, speared by a wooden toothpick.

"Well...," Jacob said. "Tell me about yourself."

I twirled the contents of my drink around with the toothpick. "What's there to tell? I'm twenty-four, unwed, never want to settle down. No pets. Only annoying brothers, of which you met, and one cousin, Jasper. I guess you could count them as pets..." I began to envision Edward, Emmett, and Jasper on all fours with bright red collars on. Shiny yellow dog tags dangled in front of their chests. The thought made me smile.

Jacob let out a loud chuckle. "I'm sure there's more."

I considered this for a moment, furrowing my brow while I thought. "Nope. Not really."

Jacob examined his empty shot glass between his thumb and index finger. Then he raised his hand and called, "Bartender! Can I get some Scotch for the lady and me?"

I set down my martini down on the counter, staring at him in awe. He turned back to me, grinning.

"What?" he asked, somewhat amused.

I shook my head as I looked away. "Could you get anything heavier? God! I'm not a drinker!"

He chuckled. "Well, maybe you need to splurge every once in a while."

The muscular bartender set down two moderately sized glasses down in front of us. Light and liquidy gold filled up about a quarter of the glass. Jacob picked up one and handed me the other. I spun it around in my fingers, staring at the imprints of my fingers from the outside of the glass.

_Aw, hell,_ I thought as I took a large sip of the drink. If I went home drunk tonight, hopefully Jacob would have the sense to call Leah or Edward. And, no matter how drunk I was, in no way would I _ever_ allow Jacob to even lay a _finger_ on me. Not even his pinky finger, which, granted, was rather large. But you get the picture!

"I'm beginning to question your whole "sober" story," Jacob teased.

I rolled my eyes as I took another sip. "It's a special occasion, right?"

He let out a quiet laugh. "Right."

We were silent for a minute before he spoke up again.

"So what is with you and Jessica? It seems like there's some sort of... rivalry."

I set my glass down on top of the small white napkin.

"Jessica," I said. "Needs to learn her place. She seems to think she's some Powerpuff Girl or something for fashion. But I'll be damned if I lose my job to _her_."

Jacob looked thoughtfully into his glass.

"So you're jealous?"

I gaped at this. "_Jealous?_ Of _Jessica_?"

He nodded, still examining his cup.

"No way!" I defended. "There's nothing _to_ be jealous about!"

He set his glass down and held his hands up. "Hey, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Can't say I like her myself. I'm just asking."

I giggled softly and looked up at the midnight sky, smiling. A warm finger probed my jaw line.

"Hey. What are you smiling at?"

I turned back to face him. "You're just... funny."

Jacob cocked his head. "Funny?"

I let out another soft laugh and turned back to the table.

"Bartender! Another round!" I called.

Jacob smirked. "You're getting pretty good at this. Were you an alcoholic and I just never knew about it?"

I grabbed the new glass the bartender set down in front of me and began swirling it around.

"I just got out of rehab," I teased.

He laughed. "That's kind of sexy, you know."

I delicately sipped from the rim of the cup.

"Really," I asked once I was done.

Dear, God. Maybe I _was_ getting a hangover. Suddenly, the room seemed to begin spinning, and I could see the floor in and out of focus.

He set his glass down, scrutinizing my face.

"Renesmee. Are you okay?"

He snatched the glass out of my hand, waving an arm in front of my face.

"I'm fine," I mumbled. And I thought I was, at the time. "I just need to go to the lady's room."

I stood and began making my way through the crowd into the elevator. The lady's room was on the level below.

When the steel elevator doors reopened, I was faced with a crowd of fashion photographers, all shoving cameras in my face. I pushed past them, ignoring their questions. Bright flashes of light made my head ache and spin, threatening to make me faint any moment.

"Miss Cullen!" one called. "Is it true you and designer Jessica Stanley have an ongoing rivalry?"

"What? No!" I responded, pushing past them.

"Is it true," another began, shoving a big black mic in my face. "that you and Miss Stanley got into a fight last week and you threw a telephone at her?"

"Miss Cullen!" a man in a black pinstriped suit called. "Do you know where Elvis is?"

I had to stop at that one.

"Where," I asked. "do you come from? Is there an island of dopes just like you?"

That's when they all started asking questions.

I swear, if I ever hear "Miss Cullen" again, I will rip my own hair out and swallow it.

The reporters all started closing in on me, asking me about Jessica and my rivalry, Kate Howard, and, by far the strangest, Elvis. My pale white hands shaded my eyes as I stood frozen in the lights.

"Renesmee!" I heard someone call. Jacob.

He shoved through the throngs of people and wrapped me into his arms as he shoved our way, much like a football player, to the outside doors. Luckily, he drove. It was safe to sit in his car as he sped off down the road, rubber burning.

"Are you okay?" he asked once we arrived outside my building.

I nodded, my eyes trained on the road. "Could've been worse."

"What was that all about?" he pressed.

I shrugged. "Rivalry. Quite common in the fashion world. It'll be plastered over every station tomorrow, and then nothing the day afterwards. No big deal."

He shook his head. "It is to me."

I unlocked the door and climbed out of his old fashioned Rabbit. "Well, thank you. But it's not necessart. I have to go. Goodnight!" I rushed my goodbye as I took off back into the building.

Exciting night.

**Author's Note: Sorry it's so short! I wrote most of this a while ago, but it's late and I didn't feel like writing, but I had to BECAUSE I wanted to tell you my joint account with Laurel, La Smarticles, is up. Leave a PM for your questions. And, in order to make sure you were on the profile, if you want any extras for this or any of my stories (different POVS, background stories that I WILL NOT publish in this, etc.) I am now taking a few requests and will post on either account. Check out my new story Getting to Know Daddy! We're playing the song below for bells, and it's been playing in my head ALL day!**

**_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or ask the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	7. Nessie

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

_Sneaking in isn't so easy, especially for a princess. Royal guards block every door and opening, so that someone is bound to know. But _our_ princess is smarter... What? It's _my_ story, okay?_

_Princess Renesmee ran through the purple darkness to the side of the large red brick fence. She kicked off her glass slippers and threw them into the bushes. No big deal, right? She could always buy new ones._

_Her tiny ivory hands ripped the bottom half of her skirt off. The fluffy blue fabric was thrown into the bushes, alongside its friend, the slippers._

_She began scaling the walls, careful not to fall and awake anyone or catch the attention of a guard._

_"Princess!" Lights flashed and she fell back into the bushes._

_Too late._

"Aww! He saved you? Talk about your knight in shining armor!"

"Lee, this isn't _Cinderella_."

"Yeah... Too bad."

"Only _you_ would say that."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Did you guys, like, kiss?"

"Ugh! Leah! Please! I'm trying to keep my nonexistant breakfast down!"

"Sorry, sorry. Did _he_ kiss _you_?"

"Leah!"

"Just trying to get the facts!"

"No, Leah. Sorry. It wasn't some hot and steamy night like you imagined. I wouldn't even consider it a date."

"So... no liplock?"

"No liplock."

"And that means no sex?"

"No sex. Sorry you can't write this into your perverted book."

"Ness, there's no book. Just notes."

"Sure."

It was Saturday morning and I was on the phone with Leah, attempting to get out the door. I held my shiny iPhone between my shoulder and my ear as I pulled on my Belle Marie black high heeled boots. It was raining again, and let me tell you, I was getting annoyed. How much rain could fall in two mornings?

"Dammit," Leah cursed from the other line. "I gotta go. I promised Seth I would meet him for breakfast."

Seth was Leah's younger brother who was on leave from Harvard for a few months. Since Leah was stubborn and refused to let him stay at her place, Seth had rented an apartment down the street.

"'Kay," I said, fixated on getting my shoes on. "Love ya! Bye!"

"Bye!"

I pressed the end button and set my phone down beside me on the small wooden bench in the foyer. It was much easier to slip my shoes on and get out the door without worrying about a phone. I hailed a taxi, trying to avoid getting my black skirt and white button up wet. Of course, I did have a black trench coat over it. Either way, I wasn't taking a chance.

I stepped out of the taxi and onto the drenched concrete. Holding my umbrella over my head, I bolted down the street towards my building entrance a few feet away.

I was almost there. The tall silver doorknob was right in my reach--

When a car came by and drenched me in mud.

"THANKS A LOT, BASTARD," I screeched after the car, waving an inappropriate finger in the air. I ripped open the door and stomped up the stairs. The designers and models pressed themselves up against the back of the wall as I made my way through the office. Mike and Lauren were sitting at Mike's desk and pointing at a magazine, giggling, completely oblivious to my angered entrance.

"What are you two doing?!" I snapped. "What the hell are you reading!?" Only I didn't say hell. Both snapped to attention. I snatched up the magazine, only to read the shock of my life.

"Leading Fashion Diva, Renesmee Cullen Dating New _Mauve_ Photographer?

That's what's been buzzing around the watercooler! Miss Cullen was spotted last night at the Tip restaurant, hanging on the arm of reported new _Mauve_ photographer, Jacob Black. When asked about reported rivalry with co-designer Jessica Stanley, Black came to the rescue of Cullen, pushing her out of--"

"WHAT?!" I screamed, unable to finish the report. "What the hell?!"

I slammed the paper down on the counter.

"Where's Jessica?!" I snapped, pointing my silk wrapped nail between Mike and Lauren.

They both looked as if they were deer paralyzed by headlights.

"Sh-she went out--" Lauren began, her face incredulous. I suppose she thought I was going to strike her or something.

"WENT OUT?!" I roared. "Who gave her permission?!"

Mike gulped, his right leg bobbing up and down. "Well, Miss Cullen... we're not really su--"

"DAMN RIGHT!" I screamed.

"If she thinks that she can just parade in and out of here--," I began in a low and urgent voice. Then I threw my hands in the air. "UGH! She's got another thing coming!"

I stormed off down the hallway and into my warm, dry office office. By now, I had remembered I was supposed to change. Reluctantly, I pulled my rear out of my chair and made my way downstairs into the spare clothes vault. Tens maybe hundreds of racks were bursting with designer clothes from the previous seasons or some that hadn't been released or just weren't ever used this season. I pulled up a recent rack and began shuffling through it.

"No... no... no...," I said, shoving away outfit after outfit.

Above the metal rack, a yellow dress with a black sash was held up.

"I like this one," someone said cheerfully.

I groaned.

Jacob stepped out from the back, holding the dress up to himself.

"You think it brings out my curves?" he teased.

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically. "Very funny."

"Whatever keeps you happy, baby," he said, holding his hands up.

I snatched the dress. It was one I had designed, but wasn't being used in this issue. This issue was focusing on blacks and grays; Yellow seemed to cheery.

"Don't call me 'baby'," I snapped, hanging the dress on the end of another rack.

"Aww," he complained. "Come on! I thought we were past this whole 'no baby' thing!"

"You thought wrong," I shot back.

"Damn," he mumbled under his breath. "Playing prince really ruins things."

I hid a smile as I ducked behind another rack, pretending to be very engaged in examining another outfit. Although I despised him, he was actually somewhat funny.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still pretending to be intrigued by a little hot pink number.

"I work here," he replied. "Remember?"

"Yes, Jacob. I remember," I snapped.

"Hey," he exclaimed, jumping up and pointing a calloused finger at me. "You called me Jacob!"

I cocked my head. "Yeah," I said slowly.

He smirked. "It's usually 'Mr. Black'. Just comes to show that even Miss Fashionista can't build a resistance to this charm."

I rolled my eyes. Without realizing it, a smile broke out on my face.

"She smiles, too?" Jacob joked. "This day is just filled with surprises, now, isn't it?"

"Wanna talk about surprises?" I inquired. "Did you read the local magazines this morning?"

He nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

My jaw dropped. "Did you see it was about _us_?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, studying me carefully. "What about it?"

"IT DOESN'T BOTHER YOU?!" I asked incredulously.

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Why not?" I demanded.

He simply shrugged. "It should only bother me if I actually cared-- which I don't. You shouldn't either. These people don't know you."

"Sure they do," I corrected. "Everyone knows Renesmee Cullen."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "They know Renesmee Cullen... But they don't know Nessie."

"Nessie?" I asked. "Who _is_ Nessie?"

He flashed a wide white grin. "You. The real you. Not the snobby fashion designer who has a reported rivalry with Jessica Stanley. Just... Nessie."

I smiled a little. "I like that."

"Good," he said, pretending to wipe fake sweat off of his brow. "It took me _forever_ to read that off the back of the cereal box."

I rolled my eyes.

"Back to work," I commanded.

He saluted me. "Yes, ma'am."

I rubbed my left hand across my forehead and smiled a bit. Then, I grabbed that little yellow dress with the black sash.

**Author's Note: I was going to continue on, but I figured it was time for an update and it would take me longer. Sorry it's so short! Chapters will go back to normal during the summer. One more week! EEP!**

**_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is! That's what you get for waking up in Vegas! Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now! That's what you get for waking up in Vegas..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	8. Starbucks

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

_Queens probably have the most important role out of all the people in the kingdom. They keep order. They are honest, kind, and conduct themselves in the most ladylike ways._

_Princesses are more like queens in training. They aren't quite up to queen standard... hence the term trainee._

I ran down the long hallway of _Mauve,_ stumbling quite a few times and completely wiping out at corners.

"Miss Cullen!" Mike exclaimed, helping me up when I fell for the fourth time. "Are you okay?"

"Where is it?!" I asked frantically. "Where's the dress?!"

"What dress?" he asked.

I grabbed him by the collar of his pastel blue dress shirt and pulled him so we were nose to nose.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy," I snarled. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. Where. Is. The. Featured. Dress. Of. This. SEASON?!"

His eyes were wide and fearful. I only got this angry when people messed with my magazine-- and maybe on a few tiny other occasions.

"I-I don't know," he whimpered.

I released his collar and shoved him backwards. "Big baby."

He brushed himself off then stood ramrod straight, awaiting my orders.

"I want you to put everyone on guard for it," I told him. "We _can not_ let the public eye see it. It's to be kept under lock and key once found, understood?"

He nodded and began to walk to his desk.

"Oh, and Mike?" I called.

He pivoted on his heel to face me. "Yes, Miss Cullen?"

"Nobody leaves without going through thorough baggage check," I informed him. "Block all the doorways immediately.

"Yes, Miss Cullen." He continued on to his desk.

"Run!" I yelled.

He leaped at the sound of my voice and began running to his desk.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned to meet Little Alice from the other day.

"How'd you get in?" I asked.

"I know a guy," she shrugged. "Anyway, I heard about your dilemma, and I think I know someone who can whip you up another feature dress in record time."

I raised an eyebrow. "And who would this be?"

"Me!" she chirped, leaping up and down and clapping her hands. Crazy little Tinkerbell.

"You?" I scoffed. "Do you even have your own company?"

Alice rubbed her hands together and stared at the floor.

"Well... no..."

"Then why should I hire you?" I asked rhetorically.

"Because I love fashion!" Apparently, pixies don't understand the word _rhetorical._ "And I've made tons of dresses for people around town! They love them! Please, _please_ give me a chance!"

Alice, by now, was begging. Maybe not on her hands and knees, but I was pretty sure that was the next step.

A part of me felt bad-- the part that hadn't turned to a complete bitch. Here was this woman who really cared about fashion, and I was just turning her down. My heart sank for a moment and I felt as if maybe I could help. A moment later, I realized my face had that pitiful look on it. I quickly composed myself and set my face back to its beautiful stone.

"Let me see some of your work," I said with a sigh. "And maybe-- _maybe_-- I'll see if I can get you into the next issue of _Mauve._ No guarantees it will be the cover, though. No guarantees you will even get in... but I'll try."

Alice leaped up and began squealing and clapping her hands.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much Miss Cullen!" She reached forward to hug me but I held up a hand to stop her.

"No hugs. Don't make me regret this," I told her sternly.

She stepped back. "Oh, no, Miss Cullen! No regrets! I swear!"

She ran off down the hallway, squealing and singing "I May Be In A Magazine".

I sighed, somewhat content with my work, somewhat irked by Tink, and spun around only to be met by a smiley Bella.

"What?" I snapped.

She giggled. "You did something really nice, you know? Alice will be thrilled."

I rolled my eyes. "Miss Swan, I was simply doing what was in the best interest for the magazine."

Bella nodded. "Whatever you say, Miss Cullen."

I stomped off to my office after Bella completely killed my serene white bubble.

"Oh, and Bella," I called. "Go run and get me some coffee or something... and check my mail while you're at it."

**BPOV (oh, didn't think Lauren switched POV's, did ya? SHAZAM!)**

Renesmee stormed down to her office, her heels clanking down on the linoleum. I wondered for a minute how she wore clothes like that. They looked incredibly uncomfortable. I was wearing a comfortable black dress pants, a baby blue button-down dress shirt, and a pair of black ballet flats. They were the safest thing for a clutz like me to wear.

She called for me to check her mail and get her some coffee. The coffee I could handle, but the mail meant having to deal with Mike Newton, and dealing with Mike Newton was... interesting.

I didn't have anything against the boy; He was actually really kind and sweet, and a really good friend. It was just his desperate nature, after the countless times I had turned him down.

I slumped over to the counter.

"Mike," I said with as much cheer as I could manage. "I'm here for Miss Cullen's mail."

Mike looked up from his computer, and his lips stretched into a grin.

"Of course," he chirped happily. He leaned down underneath the desk where the mail boxes were kept and pulled out a stack of envelopes in an assortment of colours.

"Here you go," he said, letting his hand linger when I reached for the mail.

"Uh...," I said, my eyes showing disgust. "Thanks." I tugged the mail out of his hands, leaving a sad, unhappy Mike.

"So...," he began, twiddling his thumbs. "I was thinking... if you weren't busy later... maybe we could... you know... go get some dinner or something...?"

He does _not_ know when to give up, does he?

"Oh." I ran my hands through my hair, a habit I had a tendency of doing when I was nervous. "Look, Mike, you're really sweet and all, but--"

"Hey, honey!"

I turned to see a gorgeous and tall man with tousled bronze hair. His eyes were a shimmering green, and they brought out his perfect features-- high cheekbones, beautiful lips, chiseled nose-- wonderfully.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead.

"I thought I'd surprise you at work," he whispered into my hair, loud enough for Mike to hear.

My breathing hitched and my heart began to race.

"Mike, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend," I said as smoothly as possible. "Um..."

Then, I remembered I didn't know his name. Crap! Stupid, sexy Adonis...

"Edward Cullen," he finished smoothly. Mike didn't even notice the difference.

With a sigh, Mike shook his hand. "Nice to meet you," he mumbled glumly.

"The pleasure is all mine." Edward smirked. Turning to me, he said. "Come on, let's go."

Pulling me by my waist, he lead me to the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor. When I was sure we were safe, I thanked him.

"You saved me from...," I paused. "That." I gestured towards the door and shuddered.

Edward let out a soft, melodic laugh. "No problem." He held his hand out. "I'm Edward Cullen. But you already knew that." He winked, making my cheeks flame a crimson red.

I reached forward and grasped his soft, pale hand, feeling electricity zip through my veins. "Bella Swan. But you already knew that." I winked back, feeling flirtacious today-- something I never felt.

Our handshake broke and he continued our chatter. "So, you must be Renesmee's new assistant."

"Yup," I replied, popping the "p". "How do you know Miss Cullen?"

"Miss Cullen?" He snorted. "I'm her brother."

My cheeks burned up again with that same crimson red. I had just flirted with my boss's _brother!_

"Oh," I said quietly. "I see."

Like this Greek god would ever go out with someone like me, Isabella Swan.

Edward reached forward and grabbed Renesmee's mail. "So, Nessie has you doing her dirty work, eh? That's too bad. I didn't take you for a sucker."

The steel door's opened with a "ding" and we stepped out.

"It's my job," I replied hastily. I snatched up the mail again. I turned, prepared to make a dramatic exit, but tripped and spilled the mail and the marbled tile. I really wanted to leave it, but, remembering my job was on the line, picked it up.

Before I could, however, Edward had it stacked into a neat pile and handed it to me as I stood.

"I was kidding, Bella," he said politely.

I hugged the mail to my chest protectively. "Well... then I'm very sorry."

I walked through the spinning glass doors leading out of the building and set off down the concrete sidewalks of New York to the local Starbucks. Edward followed.

"Where are you going?" he inquired as if he were going to lose me forever.

I turned, my anger from earlier immediately melted away.

"I have to get Miss Cullen coffee."

"Mind if I join?"

I smiled softly. "Sure. Why not?"

He extended his left elbow to me. "Shall we?"

I laughed quietly. "We shall."

We walked elbow in elbow down the streets of New York. Some people stopped and stared, probably wondering how someone as plain as me ended up with... him... or they were just admiring his beauty. Either way, they stared, okay?!

Edward opened the door for me as we entered the small restaurant. I went up to the coffee counter and ordered Miss Cullen's usual-- a piping hot vanilla latte, no sugar, more milk.

"Wait," Edward told the cashier. "Can you wait on that? For a few minutes?"

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Let's just have coffee or something first. Please. We'll come back for her coffee."

And how could I refuse?

He ordered his coffee completely black, while I ordered mine with cream and sugar. He refused to let me pay, which irked the hell out of me.

"I don't like people paying for me," I protested.

He grinned, handing the cashier the money. "Well, think of it as a loan. Someday, I'll ask you to pay me back. Eternal servitude, if you will."

I laughed. "Eternal servitude? For a cup or coffee?" My smile widened. "Deal."

"Excellent," he responded, turning to me with the cups of coffee.

We sat at a small table for two and chatted about everything under the sun-- from his child hood with Renesmee, her best friend, Leah, their brother, Emmett, and their cousin, Jasper, to his job as a pianist at a restaurant down the street.

"You play piano?" I asked.

"Yeah," he responded. "I don't make much, but I love it. You should come some time."

I smiled. "I think I'd like that."

He shifted his weight nervously and gave me a shaky smile. "Actually, Bella, I need your help."

_Why, yes, I'll marry you,_ I practically screamed in my head.

"With what?" I asked curiously.

Wife, fiance, girlfriend... I'd even settle for a one night stand!

"It's about Nessie."

No wedding bells. Damn.

"What about her?" I tried hiding my disappointment.

"Well, you see, I have this friend, Jacob--"

"Mr. Black. Of course."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "You see, I think he and Nessie would make a real great couple. He's all for it, but Ness on the other hand--"

"Say no more," I said, holding up my hand. "I'm in. What do I have to do?"

"Got a pen?" he asked. I dug through my small black purse and pulled out a pink Allegra pen. Edward grabbed a napkin and began writing down an address in his neat script.

"Meet me at my apartment around seven." He smirked. "I've got a plan, but we're going to need some help."

He pushed the napkin towards me.

"Operation Love Machine is in action," I said smoothly, letting out a small giggle. "See you at seven."

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated since June! I was having MAJOR writer's block, until I came up with this! I decided on switching POV's (something I never do), because it would be REALLY short with just Nessie-- about seven hundred words to be exact! So next chapter is Operation Loooooooove Machine: The Meeting! I was giggling so much while writing this chapter, I don't know why. It was just a little bit silly to me! Now I sound five! SILLY! SILLY! SILLAY! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!**

**_Taylor, the latte boy! Bring me java, bring me joy! Oh, Taylor, the latte boy! I love him, I love him, I love him..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	9. Dinner At Babbo

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* * *

**

I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.

* * *

_Royalty wouldn't be royalty without peasants, servants, and basically the rest of the kingdom beneath them. Hence the reason that everyone beneath them is almost as important as the queen._

_However, when the servants-- and the family-- of our dear princess wish to help her, they could accidentally be plotting mutiny._

_Mutiny [noun, plural -nies, verb, -nied, -ny⋅ing]_

_-noun_

_Rebellion against any authority, especially highly paid, top of their rank fashionistas who do not want any help._

**Bella Swan**

Rosalie and Alice insisted on coming with me.

"We don't want our little Bella having unprotected sex," Alice teased, pinching my cheeks. "Well, not until we meet him, first!"

Rosalie laughed as she pulled her long, honey blond hair into a high ponytail. "Yeah, Bells. Remember what they taught us in middle school!"

I rolled my eyes. That was the problem of having your two best friends as your roommates. They were always in your business.

"Whatever," I mumbled, grabbing my purse. "Come on, let's go."

Rosalie and Alice followed, Alice carrying a sketch book. I knew she wouldn't give up on this dress, even if she could never sleep again.

Edward lived about five minutes away from our apartment. It was an easy walk, and I could feel my heart race with each step. Finally, we reached the thick oak door to his apartment. I rapped on the door twice before he opened it.

The scent of cologne tickled my nose, making me sniff harder. Edward chuckled softly, obviously noticing my antics. I blushed and glanced down at the carpeted floor.

"Hi," I whispered softly.

"Hey," he replied, cracking the door open wider. "Come on in."

I followed him in, Alice and Rosalie on my tail.

"And who are these two lovely ladies?" he asked, turning to face my roommates.

Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. Alice stepped forward and hugged him.

"I'm Alice," she chirped happily.

Though he was caught off guard by the pixie's happy mood, he hugged her back. Alice pranced back to her position next to Rosalie.

"Rosalie," Rose said coldly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Edward," he replied in the same tone.

_Damn you, Rose!_ I screamed in my head.

I stared at my feet as I shuffled them, not daring to meet his intense gaze. Luck must have been on my side today when the doors burst open, revealing two men. The first was burly with curly locks of short brown hair. The second had blond hair and piercing blue eyes that were almost hypnotic.

"Are we having a party?!" Burly One boomed. "Why didn't you invite me, Eddie-poo!"

"Emmett," Edward groaned. "How many times have I told you to shut the fuck up?"

Burly One-- who I assumed was 'Emmett'-- turned his gaze to the floor, his expression saddened. "I dunno. A lot."

"And how many times did you listen?" Edward pressed.

"I dunno," he said glumly. "Never."

"Exactly."

Emmett brightened up. "EXACTLY!"

He ran into the room, leaping onto the cardboard coloured couch in the family room. Edward groaned as Blondie followed him in, stopping in front of us.

"I apologize," Blondie said. "That's my cousin, Emmett Cullen. He can be childish at times and _extremely_ immature. I'm Jasper Whitlock, by the way."

"Alice Brandon," Alice swooned, stepping forward to shake his hand-- and nearly falling into his arms. "It's lovely to meet you."

"Rosalie Hale," Rosalie said with mock politeness.

"Bella Swan."

Jasper and Emmett paused, turning to stare at me with wide eyes. Everything fell silent-- and uncomfortable-- as they all studied me. Emmett was the one who broke the silence with his enthusiasm.

"Whoa, bitch!" he exclaimed. "You're Nessie's new assistant!"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah--"

"We've heard so much about you!" he squealed, pulling me into a bone-crushing bear hug. Oxygen seemed to drain from my body as I tried to catch a breath in his iron grasp. Edward pulled him away before I started turning blue.

"Dude!" he yelled, slapping him on the shoulder. "You're going to crush her!"

"What?" Emmett asked innocently. "I was just giving her a hug."

I smiled, holding up a hand. "It's okay. Really."

Edward gripped my shoulders from behind and steered me away from Emmett.

"I'm assuming you don't want to suffocate," he whispered in my ear.

I smiled as he sat me down on a royal blue recliner (which didn't match anything). Edward's overprotective trait was definitely cute.

Alice was standing by the high tech radio system (a luxury we couldn't afford), flipping through radio stations. Most were just boring chat, which infuriated her. She threw the small black remote on the ground, letting a scream of frustration out.

"This sucks!" she griped. "Nothing is on!"

Edward laughed as he sauntered over towards her. "Well, there used to be a wall of CD's there, but we've gone high tech since." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black iPod nano and pressed it into her hands.

"Plug it into the top," he advised her.

Alice found a socket at the top of the shiny black dome that rested on top of the black column and plugged the iPod in. Music began to flow out of the other vertical columns that flanked its sides. I recognize the popular dance song-- Evacute The Dance Floor-- and began to hum along.

"You listen to Cascada?" I asked incredulously, smiling widely.

If I didn't know better, I could have sworn he was blushing a slight pink. "Well, it is a popular song."

"Well, are we going to start this meeting or not?" Alice asked impatiently.

"What meeting?" Emmett questioned.

Rosalie grinned. "Operation Love Machine." She waggled her thin, perfectly plucked eyebrows.

* * *

**Renesmee Cullen**

I was still peeved about losing the feature dress. _Mauve_ was on lockdown, and it still never showed up. Jessica hadn't shown up all day, never even called off. As I stomped down the concrete sidewalk, I was fuming.

_It's okay, Renesmee,_ I kept thinking to myself. _It's just a dress... It will show up by tomorrow... But you still have the special edition deadline to meet in a month!_

_Will you shut up?! _The other half of my brain yelled.

Emotions must have been playing across my face, because people kept shooting me weird glances. That only made my heels slam down harder onto the pavement.

"Mommy, look!" I heard a little girl yell. "Look, it's Renesmee Cullen!"

I tried to pretend like I didn't hear it, but she began to call to me.

"Renesmee Cullen!"

I stopped, plastering the fakest smile possible on my face. Her face lit up as she raced over to me, her short black pigtails bobbing up and down. She engulfed me in a flying hug, surprising me with her eagerness.

"Oh, my gosh!" she gushed. "I love your clothes! You're my hero! I have a subscription to _Mauve,_ but Mommy says I'm too small to fit in any of the clothes." She cupped her hands over her mouth. "So I buy Miley Cyrus at Wal-Mart."

I mentally cringed at the word "Wal-Mart".

"That's great," I smiled. "It's nice to see a concern for fashion in the youth today."

"I want to be a designer, just like you," she continued. "I think you're the coolest!"

Wow. I must be the newest member to the Jonas Brothers or something.

"Well, thank you sweetie," I said politely.

"Bree," her mother scolded. "Don't be bothering Miss Cullen."

Bree smiled at me before turning reluctantly to her mother, taking her hand as they headed down the street.

"But Mommy! You said that's why celebrities go out in public! For popularity!"

I tried to hide my scowl as I continued my evening.

* * *

Leah and her brother, Seth, met me later that evening for dinner. We went to Babbo, a fancy Italian restaurant on Waverly Place. I skimmed through the menu, while Seth kept giggling about how they had lamb's tongue vinaigrette. A waitress came over to take our order. I can't say I approved of her uniform made up of black pants, a white shirt, and a black apron, but that was just me.

"Hello," she said, placing coasters on the table. "My name is Carmen, I'll be your server today. Are you ready to order?"

"I'll start!" Seth declared, his hand shooting into the air. "I want... warm lamb's tongue vinaigrette with the mushrooms and egg!" His hand slammed against the table as he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Seth, shut up," Leah ordered him, slapping the back of his head. She turned back to the waitress. "I'll have the Pig Foot "Milanese"with rice beans and Arugula."

Seth roared with more laughter at the words "pig foot". Dumbass.

"And I'll have Duck Bresaola with asparagus and parmigiano," I said, ignoring Seth's idiotic laughter.

"Right away," she said, turning back to the kitchen.

Curious eyes kept flickering in my direction as we engaged in light conversation. Leah's real estate job was thriving, which was always good to hear. Her boss even gave her a promotion, which she was incredibly giddy about.

Seth had his BlackBerry hidden under the table while he texted, which seemed to peak my interest.

"What are you doing there, Sethy?" I asked, staring pointedly at the phone. "You seem pretty absorbed in that phone."

Seth blushed a little, turning his head back towards the kitchen. "When's the food coming? Shouldn't they have come out with a salad or something by now?"

Leah reached over and snatched up the phone, tossing it to me.

"Hey!" Seth complained. "Give it back!"

_One new text message._ The screen read. I pressed the "read" button.

_LOL, no wayyy!!!  
And a movie sounds great! What time?_

_Message From: Laurel Reed_

"Who's Laurel?" I asked curiously, handing the phone over to Leah.

Leah scrolled through the message, suddenly overcome with the giggles. What was wrong with this family?

"Does Sethy have a girlfriend?!" she squealed.

My eyes widened. "What girl would date _you?_"

"Ha, ha, Nessie," he said sarcastically. "Very funny. I'll let you know that I get lots of dates."

"No you don't," Leah retorted.

"Yes, I do," Seth said once more, snatching the phone back. "How would you know?"

With one look at each other, Leah and I burst into laughter. Seth feigned hurt as he crossed his arms. "What?"

"You-- date--" Leah giggled.

"You-- lots of dates--" I chuckled.

"It's not like you ever go on dates, Nessie," Seth pointed out.

I stopped laughing, my face suddenly composed. My nose wrinkled as I glared at the white fabric napkin on my plate.

"Seth...," Leah said slowly.

"I... um... I need to go to the bathroom," I said, getting up to excuse myself.

**Seth Clearwater**

I hid my BlackBerry beneath the table. Laurel-- a girl I met back at Harvard-- was texting me while we waited. Excitement pulsed through my veins. She seemed so out of my league, but she was so down to earth. A goofy grin formed on my face as I pounded out a reply to her latest text.

_Hey, you're in New York? Me, too!_

_Message From: Laurel Reed_

_No way! And did you know they serve lamb tongue vinaigrette?!?!  
Wanna see a movie Friday? My treat._

_Message From: Seth Clearwater_

"What are you doing there, Sethy?" Nessie asked, using Leah and her pet name for me as a child. She glanced fown pointedly at my phone. "You seem pretty absorbed in that phone."

I blushed a little, turning back towards the kitchen. Change the subject, Seth. "When's the food coming? Shouldn't they have come out with a salad or something by now?"

Honestly and truly my diversion could've worked-- if Leah hadn't stolen my phone.

"Hey!" I complained. "Give it back!"

Ignoring me, Nessie pressed a few buttons, her eyes scanning the words.

"Who's Laurel?" she asked innocently, handing the phone over to Leah. Leah read the message, giggling once she was done.

"Does Sethy have a girlfriend?!" she teased.

Nessie's eyes widened in shock. "Who would date _you?!_"

"Ha, ha, Nessie," I snapped. "I'll let you know that I get lots of dates."

"No, you don't," Leah argued.

"Yes, I do," I said smoothly. In what I hoped was a quick movement, I snatched the phone back. "How would you know?"

Leah and Ness shared a glance before bursting into a fit of giggles. I faked hurt as I crossed my arms. "What?"

"You-- date--" Leah cackled.

"You-- lots of dates--" Nessie threw in.

Like she doesn't remember that thing she had for me in high school... Well, there was no thing but she could have had one! Seth Clearwater is just too much of a man for Renesmee Cullen...

And that's the story I'm sticking to!

"It's not like you ever go on dates, Nessie," I hissed.

Laughter ceased as her face was suddenly composed. She glared at the dinner napkin on her plate, her nose wrinkled.

"Seth...," Leah said slowly but sternly.

"I... um... I need to go to the bathroom..." Nessie fled from the table, her head focused on the blood red carpeting.

Once Nessie had disappeared into the back, Leah slapped me upside the head.

"What the hell, Leah?" I asked, rubbing the burning spot.

"Don't 'what the hell, Leah' me!" she growled. "You know Nessie is sensitive about that!"

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.

"Sorry," I mumbled, suddenly ashamed. "It just kinda slipped!"

"Don't let it slip again," she threatened. "Or else I'll tell her about that thing you had for her in high school."

Did I mention that part? I don't think I did.

I nodded vigorously, wanting to keep that part of my life hidden. But there were about three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him-- and I wasn't sure how dominant that part might be-- that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Just toying with you! There's no such thing as a vampire! And, in case you haven't noticed, I like _girls_. Not boys.

Okay, there was one thing I was sure of, you damn party poopers.

Leah had already told Nessie about my massive high school crush on her.

**Author's Note: Okay, that last part was my total spaz attack. This is still all human. I was just bored. And I don't live in New York, but I guess there really is a Babbo and it is on Waverly Place (At which point I started singing the Wizards of Waverly Place theme). The stuff they ordered is really on their menu-- including the lamb's tongue. Seth's reaction was kinda my reaction, only I would never order it. AND AND AND!!! This chapter is dedicated to Laurel (Psychic-Porsche-3) because... well there really is no reason, other than she's my dawg! LMAO. ONE LAST THING! I'm a hypocrite! I do go to Wal-Mart even though it's stuffy and overcrowded! There's nothing wrong with it, though!**

**Okay, done rambling. I swear!**

**_Evacuate the dancefloor. I'm affected by the sound. Stop, this beat is killing me. Hey Mr. DJ let the music take me underground..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	10. Proposition

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**

I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.

* * *

_Godmother Bella lifted the skirt of the raggedy brown dress she wore as she ran through the palace. Her cheap, felt tipped shoes padded against the ground as she ran up the long, winding servant steps, the sloppy bun piled on her head falling out in pieces._

_"Prince Edward!" she cried. "Prince Edward!"_

_She stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face before someone caught her from beneath her arms. Turning her head, she saw it was none other than the prince himself holding her up._

_Bella swallowed, her face blushing a crimson red. "It's time for phase one: karma."_

**Bella Swan**

I marched into Angela Weber's office, a determined expression painting my face. Angela was becoming a good friend of mine, not my best friend, but a really good friend.

"Hey, Ange," I greeted her. "What's up?"

She had an empty sketch pad in front of her and various crumpled pieces of paper lay around her desk. Slamming down the black charcoal pencil, she let out a grunt of anger. This was unlike Angela; She never lost her temper.

"I can't stand that woman!" she shrieked. "She wants four new designs by noon! Doesn't she know that's nearly impossible! Crazy lunatic! If I didn't need this job so badly, I would quit in the blink of an eye!"

I nodded, not wanting to upset the crazy in her natural habitat. Sighing, I plopped down in the seat across for her.

"Angela," I said, putting on my best acting voice. "Then this is really going to upset you."

She peered up at me through the black wire rims of her glasses. "What?"

I sighed again, looking away so I wouldn't crack. "Miss Cullen wants all new designs. The theme is... wedding dresses."

"WHAT?!" she shrieked, standing up abruptly from her chair. "You're kidding me! She wanted party dresses this morning!"

"I know," I said calmly. "But she changed her mind this morning." I slid a bright green sheet of paper across the table. "Here is a list of requirements you have to meet."

Angela skimmed through the page, fuming at the change of plans.

"What am I going to do?!" she cried, slamming her head into her hands. "I already had two--"

"Angela," I told her. "Look at me." She slowly lifted her cradled head from her hands.

"You can do this," I assured her. "I swear, you can do this."

She nodded, picking her pencil up and drawing something onto her pad. Smirking, I turned to head out the door.

"Bella," Angela called one last time. I turned my head in the slightest so I could see her out of the corner of my eye.

"Thanks," she said. "For everything."

"Sure thing, Ange," I said, walking out the door. I was going to spread the word to the rest of the designers.

I knew I was doing the right thing for Renesmee... but why did I feel so guilty?

**Edward Cullen**

The next morning I went over to Renesmee's house before she left for work. Though it was nine in the morning, the streets of New York were bustling with people. Brisk morning air swept through my air as I relished in the little warmth the sun radiated.

I made it to Nessie's apartment, knocking a rhythmic pattern against her door.

"One minute!" she called. Something crashed on the other side of the door, and she let out a few curse words. Eventually she opened the door.

"I hope you don't kiss your mother with that mouth," I told her.

"The same mouth I kiss you with," she responded, kissing my cheek. "Come in."

I was shocked that she didn't threaten to murder me in my sleep by now. When I voiced my opinions, she simply laughed.

"What?" I asked. "The other night you threatened to--"

"Dear brother," she responded sweetly. "I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

Ha. Yeah. Right.

I began digging through any drawer I could find, mumbling under my breath. Nessie began to shriek. "Edward! What are you doing?!"

"Looking for evidence!" I yelled. "Where is it?"

"What?" she spat. "Where is what?!"

"The steak knife," I answered. "Your weapon of choice!"

She rolled her eyes. "Edward, you big dolt, I don't have a weapon!" She tore my arm away as I dug through another drawer. "But I will soon if you don't stop that!"

"Ha!" I shouted, pointing my finger at her like... well, like Emmett. "You admit it! There is a steak knife!"

"Edward," she sighed, planting herself on her cream coloured couch. "Edward, Edward, Edward... Why are you such a big oaf? I swear, there's no weapon. Now sit, big brother."

I plopped into the seat next to her, eyeing her warily.

"I should really be asking _you_ why you're here," she said nonchalantly. "Care to explain?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you must know, Ness, I came to see if you wanted to go out for some breakfast. My treat."

"Well, Eddie," she hissed. "As I have said on many occasions, I do not indulge in your fatty food. I'll just grab a Nutri-Grain bar--" She eyed my stomach. "--which I would highly suggest for you, too-- and we can go for a walk around Central Park on my way to the office. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," I replied. Nessie went to her kitchen to grab her Nutri-Grains while I rested my head back against the couch.

Nessie came back, thrusting a strawberry filled bar at me. She smiled, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. I followed my surprisingly perky sister out of her apartment as she lead me back onto the streets of New York.

"So I met your assistant," I told her, taking a bite of "breakfast".

"Oh yeah?" she asked, clearly uninterested. "What do you think?"

She's beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous, a goddess amongst goddesses... is she single?

"She's most definitely a keeper." I smiled at the thought of Bella. The way her silky brown curls fell tumbled down her back, the way her laughter practically lit up the room, the way a blush crept to her cheeks in the easiest of ways... God, I sound like a stalker. Or a lovesick puppy at that.

"Edward!" Nessie snapped her fingers in front of my face. Her chocolaty brown eyes reflected irritation as she stamped her foot onto the concrete. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh?" I blinked, taking in a breath of reality. "Yeah, Bella, assistant, great."

She laughed, continuing her strut down the streets. "Someone has the hots for my new assisticant," she sing-songed.

"What?" I blushed a tad. "No, I just happen to think she is a lovely girl. And assisticant? Really, Ness?"

"Listen here, Edward," Nessie said solemnly. "I know you're going to end up dating her, and I respect that, really, I do. But... for our sake, please don't distract her. It won't do any good. If she ends up all 'Oh, Eddiekinz took me to the most FABULOUS place for dinner" --she even threw in a few of the hand gestures-- "I will personally rip your throat out. Capeesh?"

"Hey!" I complained defensively. "How do you know she'll be like that?"

Renesmee snorted. "Please. I've seen what happens to the women you date. Given, they were blond bimbos... take Tanya, for instance."

"Tanya doesn't count," I argued. "We only dated for a month!"

"A month too long!" she pointed out. "I didn't think I could take anymore 'Eddiekinz I wanna go out for dinner' or 'Eddiekinz, I've got a little surprise for you'." She shuddered at the memory.

"You and me both, sister," I muttered. "But she was good for one thing." I wiggled my eyebrows up and down. Ah, Tanya. I knew there was a reason I kept her around.

"That's sick." Nessie made fake gagging noises.

"But it's the facts of life."

Renesmee stiffened under my arm. I turned to see her stoned face staring at a magazine rack.

"What?" I asked.

She stormed over to the rack, tearing a magazine from the stand. "Not more! God, when will they give up?"

I took the magazine from her, reading the headlines. "_Mauve_ Magazine About To Take A Dirt Nap?"

"Hey," the owner called in a rough Jersey accent. I turned to see a balding fat man in a black newspaper cap and a raggedy sweatsuit. "You either pay for that or walk away."

"No sir," I said politely. "We were just reading the headlines. This is my sister, Renesmee Cullen, editor of _Mauve_ fashion magazine. It involves her."

"Oh," he said, laughing. "Well, in that case, it's two fitty." He bit down on what I assumed was a toothpick at some point or another.

"Look, sir," Renesmee spat. "We're just--"

"Do you see me walking into your studio, pulling on a dress, dancing around in it, and leaving?" he asked.

"That might be a little scary," she whispered to me.

"Two fitty," the man pressed.

Renesmee dug in her small black purse and threw some money at him. "Here. Happy?"

"Thrilled," the man said. Nessie leaned down and picked up the magazine, stomping away in anger.

She paged through the magazine until she found the right page.

"In case you've been living under a rock," she recited. "_Mauve,_ the most popular fashion magazine of today, has been going over a rocky road recently. Insiders report that not only is editor, Renesmee Cullen's, relationship with new photographer Jacob Black heating up, but _Mauve_ is also running behind on several deadlines. Our insider reported that Cullen has been stressed over the lagging work of-- Okay!" Renesmee yelled. "Who writes this crap?!"

I stole the magazine from her hands, skimming through the rest of the article. Nessie's footsteps became harder and faster as she stomped towards her office.

"Screw the walk! I have heads to snap!"

**Jessica Stanley**

A glass of red wine was perched comfortably between my middle and index finger as I lay in my large king sized bed. I twirled the cup, scrutinizing the way the drink sloshed around the sides.

"Hey, baby," Mike greeted me, wrapping his arms around my naked waist. "Last night was--"

"Go brush your teeth," I ordered him, shrugging out of his grasp. "I don't like morning breath."

He rolled out of bed, pulling on his boxers and a pair of blue jeans. I lingered a while longer in bed, letting the dull sunlight peeking through my drapes warm my face. Deciding Mike didn't deserve to see any more of me than he already had, I pulled out a black satin dress that reached up to my knees, a bit too fancy for New York, but dammit! I had class! After a thorough shower, I dressed and sank into the black suede couch in my family room.

"So," Mike murmured in my ear, in a manner he must have thought was seductive. "You think we could do a little more... exploring... tonight?" He pulled back a lock of my black hair and kissed my neck.

I reached back, brushing his hand away. "Tell me what I want to know, and I'll consider it."

Mike was a sucker for getting what he wanted, so he practically threw himself on the spot next to me, ready to bear his soul to me. "Miss Cullen was going to put the office under lockdown for the featured dress, luckily I enforced it once you were safely away. _Mauve_ is practically in a state of lockdown. They're already lagging behind on the deadline." I had pretty much drowned everything out until his next line. "And Miss Cullen has been getting very cozy with that new photographer... his name was..."

"Jacob Black?" I asked, perking up in my seat.

"Yes," he answered hesitantly. "I think that was it. Rumor is he's been gone for the past few days because his father is in the hospital. Most think he won't be able to pay the bills."

I smiled, patting Mike on the head. "Mike, you did good, kid. You did good." Without so much as a goodbye, I stood up and walked out of the door, cell phone already pressed to my ear.

"Is that a yes for tonight, then?!" Mike called.

Boys will be boys.

**Jacob Black**

I paced the halls outside of my father's hospital room, waiting for the nurse to finish up whatever the hell she was doing. There was no way to avoid the inevitable: Billy Black was dying of heart disease. As much as I wished I could change things, I couldn't.

"Mr. Black," Nurse Kim called for me. She examined the chart in her hands in a professional manner, her face breaking with sadness.

"Yes?" I asked, walking up to meet her.

"You have a really great father, you know," she told me. "He's a real trooper."

"Yeah...," I mumbled. "He's great."

Doctor Jared came to join us, wrapping an arm around Nurse Kim's waist. They must be a couple, and she must have paged him earlier.

"Look, Mr. Black," Dr. Jared continued for her. "There's no easy way of saying this. Your father only has two months to live."

I sucked in a gush of fresh air. Why did my heart sink if I knew this was coming?

I nodded, trying to fight the stinging tears threatening to boil over. _Stay a man_, I thought to myself. _Stay strong._

"Thank you," I told them. "Thank you for trying." Without any further conversation, I strode past them into my father's room.

Seeing the man who helped me become the man I am today so broken and frail was shattering. He reached his hand out towards me, gesturing for me to take a seat next to him. Reluctantly, I sat beside him, heaving a large sigh.

"They told you?" he guessed.

I nodded. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"Jacob," he breathed out. "Jacob, listen. I'm okay with death. I've had great friends, great family, great everything. Don't be sorry. Okay?"

I stared incredulously at Billy. Thankfully, my phone went off before I could protest.

"Jacob Black," I answered, making my way towards the bedroom door.

"Jacob?" A smooth, feminine voice responded from the other end. "It's Jessica Stanley. Let's do lunch at noon. I have a proposition for you."

I turned back to face my dad. "What's involved?"

"Oh," she purred. "I'm sure it will be _very_ beneficial to you."

**Author's Note: SHAZAM! And the drama begins! Not much else to say ;D Four POV's. TADA!**

**_How do you love someone without getting hurt? How do you love someone without crawling in the dark? So far in my life clouds have blocked the sun. How do you love, how do you love someone? How do you love, how do you love someone..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	11. Karma, Why Must You Hate Me?

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I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.

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_Jacob Black wrinkled his nose as he entered the alleyway behind the castle. Some terrible stench filled the air-- and it wasn't the trash stinking up the trash bins. He soon knew as he encountered the witch herself._

_"You came," she said, her ball gown swaying with each step she took._

_Jacob smiled. "I said I would."_

**Jacob Black**

Jessica wanted to meet up at some small cafe down the street. I heaved a heavy sigh as I walked through the door. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

She was sitting in the back of the cafe, her icy blue eyes shaded behind chunky black sunglasses. A black scarf was wrapped around her head, making her unrecognizable from paparazzi.

"Talk," I said simply, ripping out the chair across from her and seating myself at the table. I wasn't really interested in what she had to say-- I just needed to know.

Jessica smiled, relaxing into her chair. "Well, aren't we--"

"Talk, Jessica," I interrupted her roughly.

She reached into her purse, pulling out a magazine and shoving across the table towards me. I read the headlines and looked at the cover picture: it was a picture of Renesmee and me from the other night at the bar. I looked up at Jessica.

"I don't understand."

"I need you to do me a favor," she whispered, leaning in towards me from across the table. "I need you to seduce Renesmee."

Hm. She doesn't beat around the bush, does she?

"No!" I said, standing up abruptly. "I can't-- I won't!"

She crossed her legs, giving me an innocent look. "Aw, well that's too bad. I thought you could use the money."

This caught my attention. "What?"

"Cut the crap, Jacob," Jessica snarled. "I know about your father. And I also know you're desperate."

As much as I wanted to protest, I knew I couldn't deny it-- any of it. "How much?"

She smiled, visibly relaxing into her chair. "Thirty grand. Plus... maybe a little something extra." Her smile took on a seductive turn.

I felt dirtier than skum on the bottom of a trash bin. Bile suddenly threatened to spill from my throat, disgusted with what I just did.

"Okay. I-I'll do it."

I had just made a deal with the devil herself.

**Renesmee Cullen**

I stormed through the doors of my office, my eyes set to kill. Edward was following behind me, stealing the breath from all of the slacking female designers.

"Get back to work!" I barked at them, stomping up to Mike's vacant station.

"MIKE!" I screeched.

Mike came barreling through the glass doors, his hair disheveled as he attempted to smooth out his wrinkled clothes. "Yes, Miss Cullen?"

"Your shift started two hours ago!" I accused. "Where the hell have you been?"

When he opened his mouth to speak, I interrupted him. "Never mind. Just get to work. I don't care about your petty excuses."

He nodded, stumbling behind his desk. Bella came racing down the halls, seemingly flustered. A few packets were tucked underneath her arm snugly. "Miss Cullen!" She skidded to a halt in front of me, her eyes quickly flickering to Edward. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn I saw him wink.

"Yes?" I asked.

Bella ran her hands through her hair, creating a deep left side part, her hair a giant fudgy slide. She began pacing circles in front of me. "This is not good, not good at all."

"What's not good?" I pressed.

"Oh, you are _not_ going to like this," she continued in a mutter. "Not _at all_."

"What is it?"

"You are just going to--"

"BELLA!" I yelled, stomping my foot on the ground. Bella snapped to attention, her mountain of hair falling in front of her face. "Just tell me already, or you're fired."

She quickly smoothed out her hair and nodded. "Sorry. It's just... the designs. They didn't exactly... well, it's best if I show you." She pulled the packets out from beneath her underarm, shoving the cool brown paper into my hands. I opened them up, flipping through the first few designs.

"Well," I said, looking at the first design of a floor-length red satin dress. "These are-- WHOA! What the hell?"

Edward reached over, stealing the designs from me before I would do anything I would regret in the distant future. He flipped through the pages, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were working on wedding dresses this--"

"WE AREN'T!" I hollered, slamming my foot down once more on the floor. "I SAID PARTY DRESSES! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Every employee in the crowded hallway dropped what they were doing to watch my diva fit. Anger flared up inside of my ribs.

"What are you doing?" I barked at them. "This is none of your business! Get back to work! We have a deadline to meet!"

At the menace in my tone, the screeching was long forgotten, leaving only the shuffle of very busy pairs of feet. I glared at the papers resting casually in Edward's hands, wishing they would disappear. "How did this happen?"

"Well," Bella stuttered, fumbling for an explanation. "Lauren said she got a notice from you about a change in designs."

"What notice?" I snapped. "I never sent out a notice! This is a disaster! There's no time to change anything!"

"Just work with the designs you have now," Edward suggested. "How bad can it be?"

"Very bad, Edward!" I exclaimed. "Very, very bad! How could this happen?!"

"Karma?" Bella mumbled under her breath.

I rolled my eyes. "Bella, you and I both know there is no such thing as 'karma'."

"Sorry, Miss Cullen," she amended.

"And either way," I added. "This would have happened either way. Stupid paparazzi."

I've always been a good girl, haven't I? I treated my employees... decently? Okay, maybe not. But I always bought things for my family's birthdays-- expensive ones at that. So, if there really was such a thing as "karma", why was _I_ being punished?

The doors slammed open, seeming to make my day plunge even farther down the crapper. "I'm back! Miss me?"

"Jacob!" Edward squealed happily.

Karma, why must you hate me?

**Author's Note: Okay, so sorry it's short and rushed! School starts tomorrow (slower updates, BLECH!) and I just wanted to get one final update out! So tada! The TRAILER FOR THIS STORY IS OUT! Check it out, link to my OFFICIAL youtube (LilyAnneMarie09) on my profile! Uh... and... I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO KEITH URBAN EVERY CHANCE I GOT TODAY!!! And I was very pleased with my reviews-- you guys are HILARIOUS :D REVIEW IF YOU HATE SCHOOL! OR IF YOU DON'T! OR IF YOU DON'T GIVE A CRAP! OR JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SEND ME SOME LOVEEE!!! LOVEEE YOU ALL!!! MWAH! MWAH!**

**_To kiss and tell, it's just not my style. But the night is young, and it's been a while. And she broke my heart, broke it right in two. And it's fixing time. But I'm feeling like I'm ready to Find, find somebody new..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	12. The Name Game

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I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.

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"Oh, fuck no!" I howled. "Fuck. No! This-- Just-- No!" I shook my head rapidly, making my straightened brown hair bounce.

Jacob smirked. "Glad to see you, too, Princess."

Edward put a restraining hand on my arm, his grip tightening. I didn't spare a backwards glance at him, knowing the fight within me would be lost. My brother always had a calming effect on me, but not nearly as much as Jasper.

"What are you doing here?!" I snapped.

Jacob cocked his head to the side. "I work here..."

"You haven't worked here for the past week!" I snapped. "You didn't even have the decency to call off!"

He shook his head, his eyes serious. "I called Mike. He said he would relay the--"

"MIKE!" I hollered, stomping my foot on the tile.

"Did you seriously just stomp your foot?" Jacob asked. "I thought girls only did that on--"

"Shut up!" I shrieked. "Wrong story! Now, as I was saying..." I cleared my throat. "MIKE!" I stormed over to his station, fighting a grin as he cowered against his seat.

"Why the hell haven't you been relaying messages?!" I barked. "That's what you're being payed for! Do I have to fire you?!"

Mike quivered, shaking his head fervently. "No, ma'am-- Miss! MISS! I SAID MISS!"

"You're in the real world now, Mr. Newton," I spat. "And here, in this wonderful place we call the good ol' U.S. of A, I have the ability to fire you for such churlish behavior! Must I?"

Mike shook his head, shrinking into the chair.

"Answer me!"

"No!" he cried-- literally. Tears were running down his cheeks. I smiled, satisfied with yet another day's work.

"Okay," I responded simply. "Well, see you later!" I walked away, turning my attention back to Jacob. "As for you, you have absolutely _no_ excuse to be missing work like that! Do you take this job as some sort of joke, Mr. Black? After I took you off the street, sheerly for your benefit?"

Jacob rolled his eyes, letting out a chuckle, though no humor backed it up.

"Excuse me?" I snapped.

"You want to know the reason I missed?" Jacob challenged, his face suddenly solemn. I took a step towards him.

"Yes, I want to know."

Jacob stepped forward. We were mere inches apart now, his minty breath tickling my face. I couldn't help but feel like this scene had happened before.

"My father's sick," he informed me. "He has heart disease. He's dying, Renesmee."

This caught me off guard. My mouth hung open, trying to form words. I felt like such an ogre! How could I yell at someone who was simply helping his dying father? I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

"I'm sorry," I choked out. I spun around on my heel, marching off towards my office. "I'm just... I'm sorry."

**Jacob Black**

I fumbled with the pen on Mike's desk while he was at lunch. The silence helped me contemplate how the hell I was going to carry out Jessica's devious plan. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to... but I needed the cash.

Most photographers could probably claim to millions, probably even go vacationing on their yachts. But I was still in debt to the bank, being out of work for such a long period of time. That was why I was playing such a malicious game.

I wiggled my rear around in the uncomfortable vinyl chair, trying to grasp some sort of comfort to no avail. Sighing, I tossed my head backwards in boredom. Models were suppose to arrive in an hour, but I had long since set up. I could always prank call the pizza guy again...

No. Pretending to be Taylor Lautner would not work more than once.

I reached into my pocket, pulling out a tiny silver cell phone. I _could_ always call Rachel or Rebecca. Sure, they moved out to Seattle years ago, but perhaps they could fly in to see my father before...

"Mr. Black."

My head snapped in the direction of the feminine voice, spotting none other than Renesmee Cullen. I hadn't seen her since this morning's little spat, and, even though it was probably stupid, I was really excited to see her.

"Miss Cullen," I greeted her. Whatever possessed me to call her by her "designated business name" I could never comprehend. But whatever.

Renesmee smiled, a gesture that was evidently hard for her even though it was weak. She ran her hands down the red wrap dress she was wearing, obviously uncomfortable. _Don't be nervous_, I wanted to say. _It's just me._

"Um..." Her weight shifted from her left foot to her right. "Look, I just wanted to... to properly apologize for... for earlier."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "'S'okay."

She shook her head. "No... it was rude of me to... to assume like that." Her eyes glanced up towards mine, and I could see sorrow in the chocolaty depths. "I don't apologize often... and... I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. While I can't exactly relate, I know. So... I'm sorry." At the end of her speech, she nodded, probably pleased with herself.

"Miss Cullen," I assured her. "Really. I'm fine. It was a simple mistake. All is forgotten."

Her pearly white teeth bit down on her plump lip. Something else was on her mind.

"Actually..." She ran her fingers through her hair. "There's something else..."

"Shoot," I encouraged her with a smile.

She laughed nervously. I just so happened to think this was adorable coming from the stone cold Renesmee Cullen.

"Um..." She swallowed. "There's a fashion show tonight at La Mar Studios. I was wondering if maybe... you wanted to come with me?"

My jaw fell agape, and I knew she could tell because a blush crept to her cheeks... Wait, blush? Things were just getting weirder and weirder, now weren't they?

"You don't have to!" She quickly added. "I mean, I just thought maybe you would like to come take a few pictures. But if you don't want to, I can completely--"

"Yes."

Renesmee paused mid-rant, cocking her head to the side. "What?"

"I said yes," I repeated. "I will go to La Mar with you."

A smile cracked on her face, though she tried to cover it up quickly. "Oh. Oh, that's great! I mean, cool. And... yeah."

I tried to disguise my excitement that easily exceded hers. Renesmee Cullen actually wanted me to come on a date with her! Well, whether or not it was a date beat me, but it was still something! I felt like prancing around the studio, but then I realized that would be weird.

"Wait," I said. "There's one condition."

"Okay," she agreed warily. "Let's hear it."

"I'm Jacob, and you're Renesmee."

**Author's Note: *hides behind rock* Hey... it's me... DON'T KILL ME! I know I haven't updated in a long time, and this one is short, but cut me some slack! I've been really busy, and I know it's lame but it's true! I have a life too, you know! Don't give me that backtalk! LOL, okay so maybe I have something that resembles a life ;D You can all form a mob and take down my teachers, just be sure to bring my story characters with you. Um... I'm becoming one of those annoying people who tell their life story in the AN. Tell me if I annoy you, 'kay? But first off, did anyone watch Vampire Diaries? Love it? Hate it? I thought it was a bad Twilight knockoff... I'm watching it again next week :D Also, I wanted to write a 9-11 fanfic real quickly, and I've been planning on doing it for months, then yesterday I realized 9-11 was tomorrow and there was no way of getting one out. So I was upset, especially since I have family out there. So this is my makeup-ish. And I'm going to shut up now.**

**_You'll always be a part of me I'm part of you indefinitely Girl don't you know you can't escape me Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby And we'll linger on Time can't erase a feeling this strong No way you're never gonna shake me Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	13. Drizzle

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I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.

A/N: And I don't know if New York really has random spots you can sit off in, but Indiana does, so TA-DA!

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_Sometimes unexpected things are hiding in every creak and crevice of the leafy forest._

**Renesmee Cullen**

As my fingers smoothed down the creases in my emerald green satin dress, I heaved a deep sigh. _This is it_, I thought as I rubbed the handle of my large oak door. I heaved the door open, revealing a dapper Jacob in a black tuxedo, camera pressed to his eye. A flash snapped, making me blink.

"What the hell?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Jacob grinned, flipping through his pictures. "A photo's no good if it's not natural. I think I just captured the real essence of Renesmee Cullen." As I cocked my head, he took another photo. "And I've done it again."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. You're truly amazing." I said sarcastically. "Can we just go?"

Jacob gestured for me to go ahead. "Ladies first."

I smiled a tad, moving out into the hallway. It was a short yet silent walk to the car, and extremely silent part of the way there.

"So where exactly is this?" I asked after a while. Rainwater was pooling on the front window, snowballing into large drops as they slid down the glass. I watched it intently, in fear of looking to my left.

"About thirty more minutes away," he replied.

I nodded, leaning over to turn to radio on quietly.

"What inspired you to become a photographer?" I asked randomly. This car ride was in dire need of conversation.

Jacob grinned when I looked over at him. He shrugged. "Does there need to be a reason?"

"Yes," I said slowly. "I mean, you didn't just wake up one day and say 'Hell, I'll be a photographer', now did you?"

He seemed to mull this over as we drove, letting out soft chuckles here and there. After a few minutes, he finally spoke. "I suppose not. But tell you what. You tell me why you wanted to be an editor, and I'll tell you why I wanted to be a photographer."

I ran my fingers through my hair, my breathing suddenly uneasy. "Well... when I was little, I used to dress _everyone_ up. And I do mean everyone-- My mom, my dad, Edward, Jasper, Emmett-- Emmett actually enjoyed it I think." I added with a laugh. "But at school, I was a nobody. No one seemed to have any respect for me. While other kids were playing Kickball during recess, I was busy studying the new issue of _Vogue_ magazine as if my life depended on it.

"That's how I met Leah. We both seemed to have some sort of drive for fashion, but in the end she went into real estate. But I went on to Yale, got my degree, and here I am now. I guess I just wanted to... to bring a little form of joy to everyone's day." I blushed. "Cheesy, I know."

"It's not." Jacob's facial expression was stern. "I happen to think it's really inspirational."

Reader, do you want to know what the funny thing was? He looked as if he actually meant it. The thought made me feel some sort of pull towards him that I couldn't quite place.

"Shit!"

The car came to an abrupt stop on the side of the road, right across from a bakery. Smoke danced from the engine, making its way into the sky. Jacob slammed his fist against the wheel, his head leaning back against the seat. In an angry huff, he got out and stood behind the car. Reluctantly, I followed him into the rain.

"Stupid piece of trash!" He cursed at the ancient sedan. Standing behind it, he began to push it into the parking lot.

"Need help?" I offered, rolling the sleeves of my white peacoat up. This was out of the ordinary, but I wasn't standing out in the rain. Jacob seemed to note this as he raised an eyebrow.

"No," he said slowly, unsurely. "Just steer."

I sighed. Typically male. Climbing back into the car, I rested my hands on the wheel as Jacob pushed us slowly into the bakery. When he was done, and after he made a few phone calls, he climbed into the car next to me.

"They won't be here for another hour," Jacob muttered angrily. "The tow. And we need a taxi, which shouldn't be too hard to find. But I want to wait until they come for the car."

I nodded, leaning back into my seat. Fresh leather scent wafted up my nose. Closing my eyes, I said, "You never did tell me your story."

There was a brief silence. "My story?" Jacob asked.

I smiled, opening my eyes and turning to face him. "Your story. About why you wanted to be a photographer."

Even in the deep purple darkness cast upon the car, I could see the hint of a blush growing on his cheeks. "You don't want to know. It's embarassing."

"Come on!" I urged with a smirk, leaning up against the dashboard. "There _has_ to be a reason. Just tell me! I told you!" Hoping to persuade, I jut my lower lip out, even going so far as to make it quiver a tad.

"Don't do that," he said, fighting a smile.

"You're gonna smile," I answered with a grin, moving towards him.

"No, I'm not," he insisted, turning to the side.

"Yes, you are," I pressed playfully, jumping across the seat. He chuckled softly, a smile gracing his beautiful face-- wait, beautiful?

"See!" I exclaimed with a giggle. "It's there!"

Jacob laughed heartily for a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose, his smile still there.

"When I was young I always thought there had to be more to this world." He tightened his jacket around himself. "That there were more perspectives than one. It perplexed me that everything was so... complicated! I wanted to see everything the way everyone saw it. One birthday, I even wished I could trade lives with someone just for a day. Just to see what made them tick." We both smiled.

"For my twelfth birthday-- the birthday before she passed away-- my mother gave me a camera. It was a simple Polaroid, where it prints out all the pictures you took automatically, but it was... exciting. And after I took my first picture, I was hooked. There were so many emotions trapped in that photo... I think my birthday wish really came through.

"When my mom died, I knew she'd want me to follow that dream. So I took up photography. I've run into a lot of debt here and there but..." He shrugged. "It's worth it."

"Suffer for your art," I said with a meek smile. "That's sweet." Nudging him with my elbow, I continued. "Now was that so bad?"

"You're pretty when you smile," he commented. "You should do it more often."

I laughed softly. "Thanks. No one has ever... well, no one has ever been this real with me before. I appreciate it."

"It's nice knowing everyone's human," Jacob snorted.

"Yeah," I murmured softly, looking up through my black lashes to meet his eyes. Black eyes met me back, with a sort of melted touch to them. Warm, soft hands ran through my hair, caressing my cheek.

"When I said you were pretty," a sweet, velvety voice said. "I meant you were beautiful."

As the rain raged on, beating the glass windows with fury, everything blurred. His lips skimmed mine, pressing lightly against them, then growing with more fury. My fingers entangled themselves in his hair, my body flinging itself against him.

By the end of the night, I was positive of one thing:

Something warm and tingly was growing inside of my heart, and it wasn't going away any time soon.

**Author's Note: SHAZAM! So what did you think? And I don't know if they slept together yet... What do you think, my lovelies? Sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been busy and in a complete slump, but now I'm committed to writing more often. I just don't know when that would be... ANYHOO, leave me a comment telling me what you thought, if you think they slept together, etc.. Just click that button. Button=Love. Long reviews= my eternal gratitude and love! And love makes me grow... I'm only 4' 11". A few inches shorter, and I'll be legally a midget.**

**_Honestly, can you believe we crossed the world while it's asleep? I'd never trade it in, 'cause I've always wanted this! It's not a dream anymore! No! It's not a dream anymore! Its worth fighting for..._ Reviews mean love!**

**--Lauren :D**


	14. Clouded

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

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I awoke the next morning to a sharp knock on the door. My head pounded in protest, and I rolled over on my side, pressing a fluffy white pillow to my ear.

"Open up, Ness!" Another loud knock. "I'll bust this door down!"

"Go away!" I shouted groggily.

"You asked for it!"

There was silence for a moment before a piercing shriek came from the front door. I leapt from my spot on the couch, scrambling to get to the door.

"Wait!" I yelled. "I'm up, I'm up!" Yanking open the door, I saw a very satisfied Leah smirking. Brushing past me, she plopped down on my couch where I made camp last night.

"Whoa," she said. "You haven't done this since... wait." She raised an eyebrow, glaring at me suspiciously. "You've never done this."

I tickled the back of my curly brown hair with the tip of my finger, looking away as I blushed. Leah was gaping when I looked back up. Her gape quickly transformed into a smirk as she leaned back casually, arms crossed, carefully scrutinizing my every movement.

"You didn't." She said.

Playing dumb, I cocked my head to the side. "I didn't?" I asked innocently. "Didn't what?" I made my way towards the couch, cleaning up the sheets and pillows.

"Don't act stupid, Renesmee Carlie Cullen," Leah answered sternly. "I've known you since we were seven. You were never the kind to build forts in the middle of your living room. What happened last night?"

"Nothing happened last night," I lied. Her blazing brown eyes watched me as I continued collecting my belongings.

"He didn't." She said once more. The corners of her lips began to twitch, and they curled over her lips in a wide grin. "He did! He did! He kissed you!"

Blushing, I looked back down to the pillow resting on my arm. "Give me five minutes to change and we'll go out for pancakes, okay?"

"HE KISSED YOU!" She squealed happily. "AND YOU LIKED IT!"

"That is not true," I argued defensively. Then, in a quieter voice, I mumbled, "Well not true exactly..."

Leah squealed once more, making me plug my ears. "Will you shut up?!" I snapped, thrusting my pillow towards her stomach. "You're going to wake the neighbors."

"They won't care," she giggled. "I knew it! I knew it was going to happen! What happened? When? Why? Tell me everything!"

"Give me twenty minutes to change and get ready, and I'll tell you everything," I promised.

And so I did.

**_Isabella Swan_**

Soft pounds of my footsteps were the only noise in the dreary, empty hallway. Swallowing hard, I stopped in front of the door I had stood before merely a few days ago.

"Come on, Bella," I muttered to myself. "You can do this." Without a second thought, my hand reached out and knocked on the door.

"One minute!" A smooth, honeylike voice responded almost automatically. My heart was immediately sent in palpitations, my vision blurring. The next thing I knew, a shirtless Edward in nothing but a towel tied around his waist answered his door. Beads of water were sprinkled across his chest, dripping down from his wet hair...

"Bella?" he asked.

"Hm?" I murmured. Then, realizing I was ogling, I blushed and looked up to his face. "Uh... yeah, if this is a bad time..."

"No, no!" He said, grabbing the arm of my retreating figure. "Please, come in." Looking up to meet his blistering green eyes, all I could do was nod and let him lead me into his apartment.

"Give me two minutes to put some clothes on," he told me as he disappeared into the bathroom. I drummed my fingers, finally settling on getting up to examine the small black piano in the back corner of the room. Sitting on the bench, I looked at the sheet music that seemed like a completely foreign language to me. As a child, they had required us to take general music, so at some point or another I may have been able to tell you what it meant, but not now. I was never one of the "music kids". Book worm was more like it. I preferred keeping to myself, even though I did derive some enjoyment from music.

Shuffling through the papers, one piece in particular caught my eye.

_Bella's Lullaby_

_COMPOSED BY: Edward Anthony Cullen_

_Bella's Lullaby?_ I thought to myself, examining the two pages before me. _That's my name... But it couldn't possibly be about _me_... Could it?_

"I know a great place we can get waffles!" Edward announced as he emerged from the restroom. "It's a small place not too far from here. They're known for their breakfasts. Whaddaya say?"

I held the song behind my back, trying not to look suspicious. "Yeah. Uh... yeah, that sounds great."

"Let me just get my cell," he said, turning back to his room.

"Okay," I replied. Once he was out of sight, I shoved the paper back where I found it, racing towards the front door.

"Oh, and Bella?" Turning around, I saw Edward peeking out from behind his doorway. "If you want to hear the song, all you have to do is ask."

I blushed.

**_Jacob Black_**

My thoughts had been blocked all morning. All night, I dreamt of Renesmee. All day, I imagined she was right beneath my grasp. Once more, I pondered what it would be like to hold her in my arms once more, to feel her soft, pink lips moving against mine...

I wasn't sure what we were right now. She certainly did not reject me like I imagined she would do. In fact, she watched me intently for the rest of the night.

But as for my dirty deal with Jessica, I couldn't carry it out. Not last night, at least. I tried to convince myself that it was all "business", that the only reason I wanted Renesmee was for the money-- and, of course, Jessica Stanley. Yet the more I thought about Jessica, the more I hated her. Quite frankly, I didn't understand _why_ she wanted me to sleep with Renesmee. There wasn't much she could do with that information. But she was offering to much to be turned down... and Billy needed me...

Walking the halls of the hospital, the scent of illness wafted up my nose. Several nurses passed, one pushing an old woman in a wheel chair. Janitors were scrubbing the floors with a yellowish solution. I made my way into room 617, sitting in a seat beside my sleeping father. I stared at his peaceful face before speaking up.

"Hey, Dad," I murmured softly, as not to wake him. "I'm in a bit of a rut right now...

"I think I'm beginning to fall for Renesmee Cullen."

His eyes cracked open, staring at me intently.

"I'm listening."

**_Jessica Stanley_**

Saturdays were always boring for me. After graduating college, I never kept up with my contacts. Soon I found myself alone-- with the exception of the occasional hook up, of course.

Today was different, however. Mike kept calling me, feeding me information. Usually it was repeated-- things I already knew or he told me twenty minutes prior. So, when my phone rang for the eighth time that day, I was fuming.

"Mike, if you don't stop calling me, so help me--"

"They went on a date last night."

I paused. "What did you just say?"

"Renesmee and Jacob," he repeated. "They went on a date last night."

Smirking, I licked my lips.

"Excellent," I said smoothly, yet with poison. "Tell me everything you know."

**Author's Note: So I was thinking about doing my science homework... but then I figured I'd just do it tomorrow morning and type this lovely little chapter up :D It's not the best, but oh well. I've had a sudden urge to write fanfiction a lot more lately. Oh yeah, and last chapter (I don't proofread my work, obviously) I started writing a "princess" story at the top, but then forgot about it. Sorry!**

**_In the middle of the night When I'm in this dream It's like a million little stars Spelling out your name You gotta come on, come on Say that we'll be together Come on, come on Little taste of heaven_... Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	15. Friends

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

**_Renesmee Cullen_**

The weekend passed smoothly into Monday morning. Leah savored every succulent tidbit I fed her about Friday night. Finally, I was able to shake her off with promises of a shoe sale down the street-- I lied. At least she was gone. Granted, she was my best friend, but I needed some "me time".

Glasses were perched on the bridge of my nose as I perused the sketches before me. Originals by yours truly. Colors from every end of the spectrum were used. Electric blue, midnight lavender, seafoam green, lemon yellow, vivid orange...

I was finishing sketching up a crimson and black number on the more casual end. Smiling, I held my work up for my appraisal. _Perfect_, I thought. The crimson dress had short sleeves and a plunging "V" neck, which revealed a black camisole. The skirt cut off midway between the knee and ankle. A leathery black belt wrapped around mid-stomach. Black heels went perfect with this outfit.

Fifteen designs. Fifteen designs I had slaved the remainder of my weekend over, and most of the morning. Of course, I can't take all the credit. Leah provided quite a few, and she actually had a really unique twist on things. I could definitely see some of her designs sky rocketing to popularity. Leah really did have a chance at designing...

"I FINISHED IT!"

Papers flew everywhere in my startlement. Cursing lowly, I knelt to the ground to scrape them into my hands. Alice stood in the doorway, grinning ear to ear. Apparently this was an invite for her to make her way into my office, a bagged dress crinkling in her hands. But wait-- there were three! Damn. What did she eat for lunch that gave her the energy?

"I finished them _all!"_ She exclaimed, tossing the clothing onto the chair across from me. Her spiky black hair was neatly straightened, falling naturally past her ears. Black skinny jeans and a gray sweater over a white cami graved her figure. Clean black converse were her choice of shoes. Not my taste, but they actually weren't half bad...

"Look!"

In her hands was a knee-length lavender number. Spaghetti straps bolted the fabric to the wearer. Sparkles were scattered across the breast, and it tied tight right below the sparkles. Pleats caught right beneath the tie before it broke into a long flowing dress. The end seams were pulled up, much like a curtain. Altogether, the dress was... amazing!

"What do you think?!" She squealed. "What do you think?!"

Collecting my composure, I began to study every inch of the dress carefully. Contentment could not leak through my exterior-- that would show weakness. So I pretended to find flaws in this flawless design, just to save my own personality. Just to keep my "image".

"It will do," I sighed. "Send it down to Marc. He'll know what to do with it."

Alice nodded. I could tell disappointment was sealed behind her smile. My reaction was not the one she wanted. She wanted a squeal and cheers of "Perfect!". Life just doesn't go that way. With one sad glance, she turned to walk out the door.

"Oh, and Alice?" I called. Her head slowly turned, icy blue eyes looking up at me from beneath thick black lashes.

"Uh... good work. Maybe we can work something else out for the next edition."

A lightbulb must have brightened up her face, because the next moment, Alice was grinning ear to ear, her eyes smiling for her.

"Really?" she squeaked.

I nodded.

Skipping, Alice bolted from the room. I wiped m brow, looking down at the designs before me. In neat print, I scrawled at the top my theme.

_Fulfillment._

Then I had a thought.

And that thought was sketched onto paper. Soon enough, it would haunt my every thought, peaking its way into my daily tasks.

***

"And the winter fashion show is this upcoming Saturday," I announced to the round table of designers listening half-heartedly. "Anyone who chooses not to participate will be put on probation. Do I make myself clear?" Arching my brows, I made eye contact with the audience. Everyone nodded fervently.

"Perfect." I said. "Meeting adjourned."

There was a rush of people racing towards the door. Papers flew in every direction. Knelting down, I began to pick up my scattered note cards.

"So I take it you enjoyed the other night."

A warm figure towered over my crouched frame. Warmth flooded my cheeks as I realized my position. Wiping imaginary dust off of my dress, I popped back up, garthering my cards into a bunch. I smiled a half-hearted smile, trying to fight a giddy schoolgirl laugh.

"Maybe," I admitted. "It depends. Did _you_ enjoy it?"

"Yes," he responded automatically. "I really did."

"Then I did, too."

We shared a warm smile as a comfortable silence ensued. I turned to start picking up some leftover papers as he followed me silently. He wiped some off the table and into his fist, taking my stack from me. I stopped what I was doing, rested my hands on my hips, and raised an eyebrow.

Jacob chuckled. "It's impolite to let ladies do the work."

I nodded, laughing softly. "Right."

Silence continued on. Jacob made his rounds around the tables, collecting the papers into his hands. I watched while fighting a smile, which I knew would soon be plastered on my face.

"So would you be completely opposed to going out with me, again?" Jacob asked, still absorbed with his work. My face dropped, my eyes widened, and I tried to remember how to breathe.

"What?"

"Would you go out with me, again?" He repeated, enunciating each and every syllable. "You said you enjoyed our last one. And I did, too."

I shook my head, my eyes alarmed. "Jacob, that would be completely unprofessional. I mean--"

"That's what you said about calling me 'Jacob'." He spun around, resting his elbows on the conference desk. "And that's what you said about the first date."

"Yes," I agreed. "Yes, I did. But that's different."

Jacob began crossing the room, until he was a foot away from me. "How?"

Good one. Good one, you--

"It just is," I said. "It's not that I don't want to go out with you. I do. But the tabloids--"

Jacob took another step towards me. "Who cares?"

"I can't let this magazine go down, Jacob," I murmured, looking down to the black heels on my feet.

"Look at me," he ordered softly. I didn't. Taking another step forward, he raised my chin with the tip of his finger until my eyes met his. "I don't care about what they say, and you shouldn't either, but this can be our little secret." His hot breath tickled my cheeks as he spoke. "Wouldn't you like that?"

I leaned forward, my forehead resting against his. "Yes."

He smirked. "Perfect." Slowly, he leaned forward, his lips mere millimeters from mine...

"Miss Cullen, there's a-- Oh!"

Jacob and I broke apart, looking at Bella's shocked face. A blush grew on her cheeks, her eyes quickly wandering to the floor. "I--I'm sorry-- I didn't-- I didn't know you were-- If you want I'll-- You just--"

"It's fine, Bella," I said solemnly. Her face was still alarmed and embarassed. "I have a phone call?" She nodded, still paralyzed with fright. "Thank you."

I turned to walk out, leaving Bella and Jacob alone in the conference room.

**Jacob Black**

Bella and I had become good friends in the time we both joined _Mauve. _We had both had very modest starts and our work evolved into something. When she wasn't running errands for Renesmee, Bella was secretly working on a book at home. She said she was always a bookworm when she was younger, and that small flame had ignited a full blown forest fire. Now, she couldn't go a day without writing.

We confided in each other. And I really did have a best friend, now.

I couldn't meet her inquisitive gaze, for my blush was too furious. It was embarassing, really, having your best friend walk in when you were like... that. By now, she knew everything about what made me tick, and she knew I was beginning to fall for Ness.

That was even worse.

"So, what did I just walk in on there?" she inquired.

I looked at her, dumbfounded. "What?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Jacob Black!" She scolded me. "You're falling for her, aren't you?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she popped her hip out in defiance.

"She's a very lovely young woman," I said.

"And you're dating now."

Eyes widened, my jaw dropped, I stuttered, "W-what?"

Bella giggled. "I knew it! You're dating!"

"No!" I exclaimed. "We're not-- no!"

She slapped me in my stomach playfully. "Don't lie to me, Jacob Black!"

"We're not!" I denied yet again.

"Sure," she said with a grin. "But if you were, I'd have to say you were a cute couple."

"_If._"

She shrugged. "Or I could say that you are--"

"If," I repeated.

"Yeah, yeah." She smirked. "You make a lovely couple." Before I could do anything, she took off squealing and running towards the door.

"You better run, woman!" I called after her, chasing after her. We ran down the hallways of _Mauve_, me right on her heels. Dirty glares and snarky comments were directed towards us, but we didn't care. Bella wiped out at one corner, due to her clumsiness. I laughed and piled on top of her. Strands of her hair hung in front of her hair, but she didn't care. Laughter bursted from both of us.

"Ja--cob," she chortled breathlessly. "Jake-- okay-- you-- win!"

We both broke into another fit of laughter after this, burying our heads into each other's shoulders. A male's call broke us apart, immediately calling her to attention.

"Bella?"

A smile broke out onto her face as she scrambled to stand up. Cocking my head, I looked at her quizzically. Then, it dawned on me. Bella liked Edward! I stood up, following her as she ran into his arms, greeting him with a hug.

"Hi, Edward!" She greeted him.

"Hello, Bella," he replied, hugging her tightly. He looked at me, nodding his head curtly but politely. "Hey, Jake."

"Hey, Edward," I said. "You treating my girl well?"

He laughed musically. "I would hope so... But you'd have to ask her."

"Jakey!" Bella squealed like a child. "He's treating me fine!"

"I know we've been brothers for a long time," I continued on, as if she hadn't said anything. "But hurt my best friend, and I'll hurt you."

"You have my word I won't hurt her," he vowed.

Bella was blushing profusely by now. "Jacob Black! It's not like we're married! We're not even dating!"

"Yet, dear Isabella," I told her. "Yet."

Her cheeks burned a darker crimson. "Shut up, Jake."

Edward smiled, kissing the crown of her head. "Come on, darling. Let's go." He hooked his arm in hers, escorting her out. Bella shot one last glare at me before she disappeared past the glass doors of the _Mauve_ entrance.

"You're a good friend."

Nessie stood beside me, her arms crossed over her chest. "You're a really good friend. That sort of dedication to someone you just met... I could never do that. I'm still Team Edward, but I still admire the fact you would beat him up for Bella's benefit." She turned towards me, grinning. "It's sweet."

I shrugged. "Bella's my best friend. We were the new kids at _Mauve_. I don't want her getting hurt."

"Edward wouldn't hurt her." Nessie stated. "Ever."

"I know." I answered. "But it's nice to have assurance."

"I wish I had someone to do that for me," she mused. "But I suppose it's okay. I don't need protection. I'm a strong, independent woman." She bit her lip, looking at me with question in her eyes. "Right?"

"Right." I responded firmly. "You are. And I will always protect you."

But sometimes, the ones protecting us are the ones we need to be protected from the most.

**Author's Note: 2,271 words. Not long, but better than normal. What did you think? I'll give you a little more taste of the Edward/Jacob friendship next chapter maybe. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a banana to get ready to mail (Top secret Mystery Google mission).**

**_I see your true colors shining through, I see your true colors and that's why I love you, so don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors, true colors are beautiful like a rainbow..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	16. Taking Sides

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

**_Renesmee Cullen_**

_Crimson_ needed to start leaving me alone. Kate Howard kept having her minions overwhelm me with phone calls over partnerships and joint fashion shows. How many times did I have to tell them no before they finally got it through their thick skulls? Apparently, thirty.

Wednesday morning started off with yet another one of these calls, this time the man on the other end practically pleading. Mentally, I envisioned a round eyed golden retriever with his paws clasped together and a sad frown on his face. It was okay, though; I hated dogs.

I crunched my phone shut in my palm as I entered _Mauve._ I hadn't seen Jacob since Monday and was dying to see if he was in. Desperation strained my face, though I tried to hide it. Typically quiet and shy Angela Weber caught a glimpse of my demeanor as I stopped off at the front desk, where Mike-- surprise, surprise-- wasn't.

"Excited, much?" She flashed her straight rows of pearly white teeth.

I bit my lip. "A little, maybe."

"Would that new Jacob boy have anything to do with it?" She pressed. Her head tilted, a cascade of shiny black hair sweeping over her shoulder.

"Angela!" I blushed profusely, trying to hide my guilty expression. "That's hardly professional."

"The whole office is talking about it," she informed me. "It's been buzzing around the water cooler."

My heart sank down into my stomach, choking me internally. I wanted to scream and hurl and punch something all at the same time. Who would start that gossip? Who would even know?

"Who said that?" I kept my tone light, though my attempt at nonchalancy wasn't working.

"Oh, Miss Cullen!" Angela suddenly became nervous. "I didn't mean to start gossip! It's just been--"

"No, Angela." I smiled with venom. "Who told you that?

Angela's head hung in shame and embarassment. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to expose her fellow employee. "Jessica said she heard it from Mike who saw you guys the other night."

He _saw_ us?

"Oh."

Mike chose that moment to make his appearance. Headphones were hanging halfway off his head as he scrambled towards his desk, fixing the buttons on his white shirt.

"Mike, you're fired." I said carelessly.

He stopped, his eyes wide with consternation. Frozen in his tracks, he could do nothing but stare at me paralyzed. I perked my shoulders once, turning to skip away as he stopped me.

"Miss Cullen," his voice slightly broke. "W-what? I'm sorry I was late. One more chance and--"

"Mike," I sighed. "Mike, Mike, Mike. I've given you too many chances. But you're just not worth it." I stepped into his station, picking up his office phone and dialing 6.

"Security?" I asked when someone answered. "Yes, I've fired the office secretary Michael Newton. If you could see him to the door-- you can?-- Marvelous, thank you. Tell the wife I said hello, Jim." I hung the phone up and turned to Mike.

"You have fifteen minutes," I informed him. "Security is watching you."

As I turned, Michael let out a shout of hatred.

"Oh, no!" He hollered, wagging a finger in the air. "Hell, no!"

I crossed my arms, turning around with an amused expression on my face.

"Mike, think about what you're about to do--"

"I've put up with you from day one!" He screamed. "You're nothing but a spoiled bitch! Mommy and Daddy gave you everything you wanted! And now, you're way too good for the rest of us, huh?!" Flames blazed in his eyes, igniting an angered passion that made him continue his rant.

"Not all of us come from money! Some of us have to work to eat! Newsflash 'Miss Cullen'--" He made quotation marks with his hands, mocking my name. "You're not perfect! Someday _Mauve_will crash and burn, and it will be because of your giant head! And your restriction for PDA around this office is ridiculous! Just because you'll never get a date doesn't mean the rest of us have to suffer! We're not all angry fucking bitches like you!"

"_Mike_!" I had completely forgotten Angela was beside me before she made that comment. Her chocolaty brown eyes were wide with apprehnsion that she, too, could lose her job. "Shut the hell up!"

"No!" he retorted. "Ange, aren't you tired of this shit we put up with?! Don't you just want to leave _Mauve_ and find success elsewhere?!"

"No!" she answered. "Mike, I love my job."

Mike's fists clenched at his side. He heaved a great sigh of frustration. Silence broke out through the office and I noticed the spectacle Mike was making caused the rest of the employees to watch.

"Are you done?" I asked Mike.

No reply.

I snapped my fingers. "Security!"

Two men in tan suits came forward and each grasped one of Mike's arms. He struggled against their grip, but when it came down to it, he was nowhere near as muscular as the two men.

"Let me go!" He complained. "This is Marc Jacobs classic!"

A smirk curved on my lips as they dragged him towards the glass double doors. His feet were flailing in every which direction. No longer was he even stnading on the floor.

"Goodbye, Mike!" I called pleasantly. "And tell your friend, Jessica, she's fired, too."

Mike whipped his head around, his jaw dropped. In the next moment, he was gone. Good. Now we could get some work done and start getting somewhere.

Silence reminded me of the shocked audience watching. With as much cheerfulness as I could muster, I turned to address them.

"You have five seconds to go back to what you were doing, or else I will have no problem letting you follow Mr. Newton." Still awestruck silence. "One-- two--"

There was a mad scramble. People were pushing past each other, sprinting down the halls to their respective offices or cubicles. The hilarity in it all made me smile. Remembering Angela, I turned to her.

"Thank you, Miss Weber," I nodded. "Your loyalty to me and this company will be rewarded in some way or another."

Angela was elated, I could tell. Such a small comment could light her face up. "Th-thank you, Miss Cullen! You have no idea how much that means to me!"

I grinned. "Well, get back to work. We have much to do."

She scampered down the halls. When I turned around, I bumped into Bella, who looked flustered as always.

"Sorry," she amended. Styrofoam coffee cups were resting in a cardboard holder supported in the crook of her arm. She reached in and handed me one.

"Thank you," I said, taking a careful sip. "So, what makes you so late this morning? You're usually so punctual."

"I--I'm sorry," she said once more. "I-- ran into--"

"She ran into me."

Edward strolled into the office, clad in a pair of jeans and a white sweater. Sunglasses shielded his marble green eyes. He lifted them up with what he thought was "skill" and leaned in to kiss Bella's cheek.

"Hello, darling," he murmured, his lips still against her skin.

Bella blushed a violent red. "H-hi."

Oh hell to the no! My brother and my assistant? That was just messed up!

"Someone better start talking," I snapped.

Bella shuffled her feet and twiddled her thumbs. Nope, I was not getting anything out of her anytime soon. I turned my glare to Edward.

"Edward Anthony Cullen." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Start talking, big brother!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Renesmee! We didn't get married! We're just dating!"

"_Dating?!_" I exclaimed. They both nodded. I laughed.

"What?" Bella asked defensively.

"My brother," I replied. "My brother is dating my assistant! This unbelievable-- _You!_"

I whipped in Edward's direction. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" I exclaimed. "You're the one who did this!"

"I don't see the problem," he growled. "It's just dating--"

"It's just dating," I mimicked him. "If you guys think--"

I cut off mid-sentence. How could I be so cruel to them? Really, what was wrong with them dating? It weren't as if they tied the knot-- that would be a big no no. And I was dating Jacob... or was I?

"Never mind." I forced a smile. "Congratulations. I'm really happy for you two."

Then, I strode off to my office. Behind me, I heard them speculating whether I was plotting something. Truth be told, I was not. Edward and Bella seemed like a good enough match, and who was I to play matchmaker? Let them have their fun.

I slid into my office chair. It was cushy. Soft, almost. Resting my head against the back, I closed my eyes and began to count.

_One..._

_Two..._

_Three..._

_Four..._

_Five..._

_Six..._

_Seven..._

I didn't realize I was muttering it out loud until someone began to join in. I opened one eye but saw no one.

_That's weird,_ I thought.

"Eight," the voice continued. "Nine... ten..."

"Jacob!" I exclaimed, spinning to see him behind my chair.

Jacob greeted me with a warm smile and open arms. Joy was radiating off his skin; I could not help but smile and leap into his arms. Fingers raked through my hair, and he twirled me around in a circle. Like a child, I giggled until he set me down. He leaned down slowly and pecked me on the lips.

"Hi," he murmured.

"Hi," I replied, leaning my forehead against his.

"So I was thinking, Miss Cullen," he said, taking on a business-like tone. "Tonight, maybe you and I could go for some dinner. Strictly platonic, of course." He winked, and I knew he was lying-- about it being platonic, I mean.

I sighed, pulling my forehead away and reclining in my chair. "Who am I to say no to that?"

Jacob grinned. "Perfect."

He turned to make his exit, looking more like a Greek god than a human being. His figure was muscular and built, popping out through his thin, button-up dress shirt. For a minute, I fantasized about how he would look without the shirt...

"Wait!" I called.

Jacob stopped, and turned to face me with a mischievous smirk. I leaped from my chair, slamming the door to my office shut and pulling the blinds shut as fast as I could. Then, I turned around and grabbed Jacob's head in my hands, capturing his lips in mine. He responded fiercely, pushing me back until I was pressed against my desk. This continued on for a minute until he reluctantly pulled away.

"I have a shoot at one. Can't be late." He winked. "See you tonight."

I grinned, trying to fix my tangled hair with my fingers. "Can't wait."

**Author's Note: So I was sitting in Lit today and realized something: first, I haven't updated this in over a month, and second, there isn't much left in the run of this story. Well, that's not true, there's the climax and what not, but I think the resolve is going to be pretty quick. Next chapter is going to get far with the storyline. But I want this finished by mid-February at the latest, which means no marathon for my FF anniversary (if you're lost, read my AN for chapter 16 of GTKD) which I really wanted to do. There's always next year though, right? Anyways, this was basically a filler chapter but remember Mike got fired ALONG WITH Jessica. Where has Jessica been, by the way? What's she been up to? What do you think? We'll find out next chapter :D**

**_'Cause when I'm with him I am thinking of you, thinking of you, what you would do if you were the one who was spending the night, I wish that I was looking into your eyes..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	17. Legit Love

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

_Running a kingdom was not easy work, as the princess could very well tell you. You had to make sure the servants were all in order, attend important dinners-- oh yeah, and make sure peasants weren't planning a revolt._

_As we rejoin our princess once more, she is examining her new gown fresh from the royal dresser's workroom. It us a kitchen-y yellow, very light and springish. As she picks it up to look at it from another angle, a door bursts open._

_"You stupid arse!"_

_Another angry peasant. Another day in the life of our beloved princess._

**_Renesmee Cullen_**

The morning ran smoothly into the afternoon. Adrenaline was running high at _Crimson_. Our big headline was due this evening, and everyone was jittery.

_Fulfillment_.

The designs were already becoming reality; Dresses were being pushed out faster than imaginable. The fashion show was in three weeks and so much had to be done before then!

I was just examining the dress that would be on the front cover when the front doors slammed open. Heads turned but I paid no mind to this intrusion. Too busy. Too much work.

"_You stupid bitch!_" Jessica strode in, her hair in messy black curls. A black skirt and bright pink tank top were her choice of clothing. Bulky black sneakers clanked on the floor. Makeup was crapped on her face like a raccoon. Ooh, good thing she was gone before the deadline.

"May I help you, Miss Stanley?" I asked, turning my attention back to the dress.

"Don't act so innocent, Cullen!" Jessica was fuming. "How the fuck could you fire me?!"

"Like this," I replied lightly. "You're fired. See? That's exactly how I did it, only I sent it down the gossip line. It seems that's your favorite method of news, am I wrong?"

Jessica stomped a foot. "Firing me was your biggest mistake. Do you know how hard I've worked these past few years?"

"Not hard enough," I answered. "You're never here. So think about this as an indefinite vacation. Without pay. Security!"

"You'll rue the day you fired me, Renesmee Cullen," Jessica vowed. "_Crimson_ will be reduced to ashes once I'm done with it."

I raised an eyebrow at her. Security was quickly approaching. "Ha! Good luck with that one."

They reached for her arms but she held her hands up dismissively. "I know the way."

With that, Jessica Stanley exited for what I thought would be the last time.

***

"So I'm really excited for the show," Jacob commented at dinner that night. "When is it?"

"Two weeks," I replied, taking a swig of my red wine.

"Excellent," he muttered, carving into his steak.

We began to talk about some subject no one really cared about when his phone began to ring. Considering it was a fancy restaurant, customers shot him glares. I tried not to laugh as he dug around in his pocket.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I have to take this." He pressed the phone to his ear, standing and walking from the table.

"Okay," I murmured, but it was too late. I speared another piece of my ravioli, blowing on it softly before popping it into my mouth.

"Two weeks." I repeated to myself.

**Jacob Black**

"What do you want, Jessica?" I hissed into the phone.

"No need to be hasty." I could just imagine her smirk that was undoubtedly painted on her face at this moment. "I wanted a progress report."

Should I play dumb? "Progress report?"

"Don't be an ass, Jacob," Jessica barked. "How are things going with Little Miss Cullen?"

I chewed my lip. How were things going? Great. Fabulous. Renesmee really seemed to be falling for me. There was only one problem...

I was falling for her, too.

"Things are... great," I muttered.

"Have you guys, you know?"

_No, but I know you and Mike have._

"Not yet," I answered. "I'm working on it--"

"You've had long enough!" Something smashed in the background, and I was betting it was glass. "Get it done. Tonight."

"Jessica, I can't." My fingers twiddled together, a habit I had when I was nervous. "These kinds of things take time--"

"You don't have time. Neither does Billy."

She was right. Billy was living for each second of the day. Any minute, I could get the call that he was gone. That would just kill me.

"I'll get it done tonight."

"Excellent."

**Renesmee Cullen**

All Jacob did the rest of the night was flirt with me. At first it was endearing.

Then it just became annoying.

I drew the line when he began playing footsie with me under the table.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snapped, snatching my leg away. "You've been weird all night."

"I--I'm sorry." Jacob ran his hand over his face. "I'm just... nervous, I guess."

I glanced down at his hand that rested beside his used dishes. Before I knew it, I was holding it against my cheek. We both paused to stare, but I only squeezed his hand tighter.

"Don't be nervous around me," I whispered. "Ever."

His hand caressed my cheek, and I melted into his touch for a moment. Jacob was so warm. When I was around him, I felt like I was, well, high, I guess.

I'd dated other guys in the past. What, are you surprised to think that _I_ had a "love" life once? Just because I don't believe in love doesn't mean I can't enjoy the prospects of going on a date. Back to my story, none of them were like Jake. For one thing, there was Nahuel, who thought he was so cool and tough and tried to get me into bed within the first five minutes of the date. Needless to say, I slapped him. Leah offered to key his car, but I turned her down. Wouldn't want him going to the press, would we?

But Jacob was different. I knew he didn't want me for my body. He wanted me for me. And I wanted him for him.

Jacob didn't release my hand until we made it to the front door of my apartment. When he did, I suddenly felt lonely. A part of me was gone.

He leaned in, deciphering whether to let me feel the softness of his lips.

_Yes,_ I wanted to scream. He still waited, and I grew impatient.

"Just kiss me already," I growled, taking hold of his head and crashing my lips down on his. He greeted me cautiously at first, then grew with intensity upon my prodding. My back was pressed against the pale pink walls when he pulled away.

"Goodnight, Renesmee."

I watched as his muscular figure turned to walk away. Don't go... please, don't go... He made it to the elevator when I finally called out to him.

"Yes?" He replied.

I sauntered down the hallway, taking a hold of his hand. "Stay with me tonight. Please."

His eyes looked down on me, almost as if he were fighting himself. My own rounded, pleading. I uttered but one more word.

"Please."

Jacob softened, leaning down to kiss my lips. "Always."

Then, he took a hold of my hand, and walked me back to my apartment.

It was a night I'll never forget.

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time and sorry this is so short and pretty much a piece of crap! I've been busy with everything lately, and I still have homework to finish and some studying to do because I am determined to pass my math test tomorrow! Wish me luck :P Oh yeah, and I got the Lady Antebellum album yesterday. Definitely go get it! It's amazing(: This isn't it below, by the way. That's JBiebz lol**

**_You should pick me, so tell me can you dig it? I'm everything you need, girl, so tell me can you dig it? I'll always be your number one, number one fan, dig that, and I should be your one and only man..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	18. Falling

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

**_Jacob Black_**

Sunlight seeped through the silky brown curtains, dancing across the floor. Beside me, there was a loud buzzing followed by Ludacris's "How Low Can You Go." I swung my arm over my forehead.

"Just another minute," I mumbled.

It kept ringing.

"Okay," I sighed. "Okay, I'm up."

I rolled over on my side and felt smooth skin run beneath my left arm. Someone was beside me! I jumped, prepared to see a thief or a killer, when all I really saw was _her._

Renesmee was so beautiful when she slept. Her bare back bathed in the naked sunlight, and she snuggled into my arm. I ran my fingers through her hair, and her eyes began to crack open.

"Good morning," I greeted softly.

She smiled, burying her face into her pillow. "Answer your phone, Jacob."

I chuckled. "Of course." Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I snapped open my phone and answered, irritated. "What?!"

"Is that any way to speak to the person providing you cash for dear old Daddy?"

My cheeks heated up, and I snuck a glance at Renesmee. "Hold on, Mr. Williams. I need to take your call outside."

"You slept with her, didn't you?!"

"Yes, Mr. Williams. We will be there on Tuesday." I climbed off the bed and began searching for my clothes.

"You did! Oh, this is too rich!"

"Now as for colors, I was thinking a traditional black and white." I was searching for my pants, which I found on top of the armoire. Hm. Don't remember that-- oh, wait, I vaguely do.

"So how was it?" I tugged my pants and a shirt on.

"One moment." I made my way out to the hall, letting the door close behind me. "What the fuck, Jessica?!"

"You didn't answer my question." There was a hint of amusement in her voice. "How was it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Amazing. Happy?"

"Ecstatic. Now it's done! I'll drop off the money tonight. Wasn't that easy?"

"No," I grunted.

"Aww," she squealed. "You're so sweet! Defending your woman like that!"

"Just drop it off at seven tonight," I snapped.

"Okay, bye darlin'."

I slammed the phone shut, fuming back into the bedroom. Renesmee was already dressed in a sleeveless light green dress. She raised an eyebrow as I entered.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"No one," I replied with a simper. "Just a client, that's all."

She nodded. "Well, I have to get to work. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Later."

**Renesmee Cullen**

It wasn't until I returned from a meeting in the conference room later that afternoon that I heard the gossip.

In New York, news travels fast. Way fast.

There was a swarm of designers and their assistants crowded around the front desk. Mark was sitting at the computer, showing some sort of video or something.

"Taking a break, I see?" I asked.

Angela's hand covered her mouth, and she looked from me to the computer screen and back again. Lauren elbowed her in the gut, turning to regard me with a smirk.

"Hello, Miss Cullen."

Today, I was in an exceptionally good mood, and I knew they were going to test it.

"Let me guess," I joked. "Brangelina's pregnant."

"Something like that," Mark said in his flamboyant tone.

I quirked an eyebrow, wondering what exactly was going on. That's when Bella came bursting through the doors.

"Miss Cullen! Miss Cullen!" She gasped. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, and it looked like she ran here. She wore jeans and a powder blue button-up, something not acceptable for her work attire.

"Bella!" I exclaimed. "What--"

"Re-reporters," she stuttered. "Tons of them. Outside the doors!"

"What?!" I cried. I ran to the windows and threw open the curtains, and sure enough, outside the building, there was a swarm of reporters being held off by a group of security guards. When they saw my face, their cameras pointed upwards and began to flash. I drew the curtains closed. Then, I did the only logical thing that I could do at the moment.

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Bella grabbed her ear, and I began to pant. All of the employees stopped what they were doing to regard me with sullen faces. I jabbed a finger in their direction.

"Someone explain. Now."

There was still silence.

"Explain," I hissed. "Or I start cutting jobs."

All of a sudden, everyone rushed forward, spewing out several stories at once. I stepped back, overwhelmed with their energy.

"One!" I screamed. "One person!"

They all fell silent and hung their heads. Angela stepped forward, itching at the back of her head. I raised my eyebrows as she shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"It's Jessica...," she muttered. "She... put out a rumor today on the internet that you slept with..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to. I knew who she was talking about.

"Who'd she hear this from?" I demanded through clenched teeth.

"The source itself!" Mark piped up. "Your boy toy, that Black character!"

"Mark!" Lauren howled in outrage, elbowing him in the side.

"It's true!" he defended himself. "And now they're calling her a kinky whore!"

But I was already marching back to my office. There was no way I could listen to any more of this. Tears were burning at my eyes, but I refused to let anyone see. I was done being weak.

"Wait! Miss Cullen!" Bella stopped me. "Please! I know Jacob, and so does your brother... He would never--"

"Would you shut up with the excuses?!" I cried, pivoting to meet her glossy brown eyes. "From day one, all you've done is act like Little Miss Perfect! Well, I'm tired of your fucking optimism, Bella! Jacob Black used me, and I was stupid enough to fall for it. Everyone's going to hear about this. You mean to tell me he didn't know what he was doing?"

"Jacob's a good person," she repeated, swallowing hard. "I know you're upset, but believe me when I say he honestly cared for you."

I snorted. "Yeah. Sure."

Bella sighed. "I just wish you knew. I just wish you believed."

**Jacob Black**

It was seven o' clock when Jessica came knocking on my apartment door. All day I had hidden at home, ignoring phone calls and texts. What's the point, when you knew they'd only be angry anyway?

Anyway, Jessica dropped off the money and made herself comfortable. I glared.

"What the fuck do you need, Jessica?!" I snarled.

"There was another part to the deal," she said, snuggling into my brown suede couch. "Remember?"

"I don't want your sex," I spat. "Never did. Now get out!"

Jessica rose from the couch, strutting over to where I stood by my coffee table. She stood on tiptoes, whispering in my ear, "Come on. I'm so much better than that skank."

"That's the thing," I hissed. "She's not a skank." I grabbed Jessica's wrists and threw her onto the couch. "You are."

Jessica wriggled around, leaning up to try and kiss me. "Mhm, whatever you say."

I rolled my eyes in disgust when I heard the door slam open behind me.

"Wow, you move on quickly, I see."

It was the voice I would recognize anywhere; It was the voice of Renesmee Cullen. And God, was she pissed!

"Renesmee," I said, standing up and running to her. "I'm so sorry! None of this was supposed to happen--"

"Save your shit for someone who cares!" she screamed. "I'm actually glad I caught both of you, though. It saves me a trip."

Jessica stood up, smirking at Renesmee. "Not my fault you're a--"

"Shut the FUCK UP, JESSICA!" Renesmee hollered. "Since the day you arrived at _Mauve_, you've had it out for me. I was always a threat. Well, congratulations. You finally got your wish. I officially have a bad rep, something you can't afford to keep in this business. I hope you're happy."

"I am," Jessica replied.

"Get out. Now." Renesmee's nostrils were flaring.

"And you!" She pointed a manicured nail in my direction. "I trusted you! Did you know I've never felt this way before? Did you know I was letting myself fall for you, and you-- you--" Her fist bunched up and she shot her head away. "I'm just tired of this. I don't even know why I let myself get caught up in you. You're fired. Don't bother showing up at the fashion show next week."

"Ness--"

"_Don't!_" Her eyes burned with a venomous fire. "_Don't_ call me Ness anymore! It's Renesmee Cullen!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Please don't do this..."

Renesmee stormed towards the door, wrenching it open. The final thing I heard before she disappeared... well, it broke my heart into tiny pieces.

"I hate you."

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! My lame excuse: I haven't been home. And it sucks, but I'm watching Glee. Next chapter is second to last, then we're done.**

**_Open your heart to me, baby, I hold the lock and you hold the key, Open your heart to me, darlin' I'll give you love if you, you turn the key..._ Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**--Lauren :D**


	19. Me and You

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

**_Renesmee Cullen_**

"I need makeup over here! Regina, why aren't those dresses ready for later? Bella! Where's Bella?"

I stormed through the overcrowded backstage an angry mess. We were five minutes from showtime and still nowhere near being prepared. Bella came running towards me, stacks of notecards in her hands. Her hair was tied up into a neat bun, with a braid on each side. She wore a simple deep purple dress that cut off right above her knees.

"Miss Cullen," she said, turning over the notecards to me. "They're all waiting on you."

I flipped through some of the notes. They were mainly on who designed the dresses, when they would be featured, how much they would cost, etc.

"I'm ready."

* * *

I strutted down the runway in a fudge brown satin dress. It had a black bow right below the bust before it broke into a flowing dress that stopped right below my knee. My makeup was natural and brown, and my hair was softly curled.

"Hello and welcome to _Mauve's_ annual fall fashion show!"

There was a roar of applause and I flashed a pearly white grin.

"My name is Renesmee Cullen and I'm editor-in-chief at our humble magazine! But what am I doing rambling on? Let's get started!" Everyone cheered as the lights dimmed. A single bright spotlight flashed centerstage. Cameras were flashing left and right, and I cheerfully introduced our first design.

"This first dress you're seeing is called a mermaid dress, perfect for dressy, fancy occasions. It comes in two colors, turquoise and gray, and can be specially ordered."

_Click, click. Flash, flash._

I gave a bright smile to the audience, more importantly the photographers. Their cameras were poised in the direction of the models, but one in particular caught my eye. He was taking photos of _me._ It wasn't until I saw who it was that I understood.

The world froze then.

Jacob lowered his camera from his face, meeting my eyes with his burning gaze. Music thumped in the background, but all I could seem to hear was the beating of our two hearts.

I snapped out of my daze, tilting my notecards upwards so I could continue reading.

"Our next model-- uh... she--"

I glanced over towards Jacob. The large nose of his camera was aimed in my direction again. A flash came from his camera, and he lowered it back down. He examined the photo on the screen in his camera, then, with a sigh, turned to walk away. That was it. No backwards glance. No goodbye.

"She's modeling our new print skirts, perfect for any occasion--" Jacob was beginning to disappear into the crowd. "The starting price is-- Jacob, wait!"

The model stopped midway down the runway. She didn't seem to know what was happening, and she was giggling nervously. The music had been cut off, and I stood there awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm so sorry. You were right; It's not just your fault for what happened with Jessica. I was always pushing you away, and that was wrong. I thought I would be better without you. You hurt me, and I was so angry." I inhaled, blinking back tears. "But when you left, I learned something. I can't live without you. Ever. It's not fair, this whole 'love' thing. That's why I never wanted to get involved. Everything's so complicated. But do you know what?" I dropped my notecards onto the stage. "I love that feeling. I love everything being complicated. I love having to fight for you. I love it because I-- I love it because I think I might love you."

Everyone in the audience gasped. I still hadn't found Jacob, but I just prayed he was listening.

"None of this is going to be easy, I know, but I want to work for it, Jake. For _us._ Because as much as I've tried to fight it, I need you even more than the air I breathe. When I'm not with you... my heart hurts." Everyone "aw"'d, and I sighed, leaving with a brief "I'm sorry."

Tears filled the brims of my eyes. I tried not to blink as I sat down in one of the makeup chairs backstage. Suddenly, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing I had a new message.

**1 New Message**

**From: Jacob Black**

My heart skipped a beat. I anxiously pressed read.

**To: Renesmee Cullen**  
**From: Jacob Black**  
**Msg: You're not finished, Miss Cullen.**

I smirked as a violent red rose was held out beside me.

"I heard it. I heard everything, Miss Cullen." Two arms hooked themselves beneath my armpits, and I was pried from my seat and cradled into the warm arms of Jacob Black. I smiled as I inhaled his scent.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I'm sorry about everything. But I meant everything I said."

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing." Jacob tilted my chin towards him, making me gaze deeply into his dark brown eyes. "I should. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't think she would do something like this. I needed the money, though. None of this--"

I pressed my lips hungrily against his, successfully shutting him up. His fingers knotted themselves into my hair, and I grinned. He leaned me back against the dresser, and I softly pushed him away.

"Let's just forget all of this," I suggested. I fumbled for his hand and intertwined my fingers with his. "Because it was one big hairy mess."

He kissed me once more, this time softer and sweeter. "I love you, Nessie."

"I love you, too, Jacob."


	20. Epilogue

**I do not own Twilight or any of the songs that may be used in this story. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

_Our princess leans out the top of her tower, watching all of the peasants below. Crisp, morning air is breathed into her lungs, and she exhales._

_"Princess Renesmee!" Isabella, her assistant, runs into her room. Her hair is in a messy tousle, yet a smile graces her lips. "He's here."_

_The princess smiles. "Excellent."_

"Jacob, I hate parties," I whined.

"This isn't a party, though. This is a wedding reception."

I crossed my arms over my chest, huffing as I glared out the window of the stretch limousine we were riding in. "Whatever. I still hate it." Jacob chuckled and leaned over to kiss my forehead.

"I love you, do you know that?" he mumbled, his lips still against my skin. He begin to place feathery kisses down my temple and onto my cheekbones.

"Not getting you anywhere," I sighed, pushing away his hands with a smirk. "Maybe later."

Jacob smiled as the car pulled to a halt. The driver opened our door, and we stepped out onto the concrete. It was a hot, summer day, and we made our way into the air-conditioned building.

It's been two years since the events of last chapter. Shortly after our fashion show (about a year shortly), Edward proposed to Bella. They got married in a chapel in the Bahamas about seven months later, with the entire family in attendance. Bella is about four months pregnant now.

Jasper and Alice, and Rosalie and Emmett, met once again at their reception. After their reunion, it didn't take them long to become couples.

Billy passed away a month after the fashion show. Jacob was crushed, but life goes on. It's a circle that no one can break; Life, death...

As for Jacob and me, well...

"Introducing the bride and groom- Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black!"

Need I say more?

Jacob and I pranced into the room, grinning as wide as our cheekbones would permit without cracking. We danced along to the upbeat music, waving at our guests who were standing and clapping. We took out seat at the head table, Jacob beside Edward and me beside Bella. I was still beside Jacob in the center, though.

The reception flowed flawlessly, thanks to the planning of dear old Alice. Our band was exceptional, and no small detail went without a photograph. A very much pregnant Bella was pissed when a flash went off as she was scarfing down her wedding cake. Let's just say she let the photographers have it.

The night was winding down and I left the beautiful ballroom to get some fresh air outside. Since our reception was held at a hotel, cabs were coming in and out of the parking lot, dropping off tourists weighed down with luggage. Several people stopped to stare as I tried to lift up the hem of my wedding dress to maneuver myself around. A few people even gave a few muffled "congratulations."

"I thought I'd never get away from her! She kept complaining about the photographers, AS SHE WAS SCARFING DOWN A PIECE OF FRIED CHICKEN! Poor Edward; Has to deal with Lady Hormones over there."

A soft smile curled my lips upward. "Oh, I don't know. I actually want kids. I think pregnancy's going to be beautiful."

"Mrs. Black, you know I'm up for anything you want. Just promise me you won't break any of my cameras should I decide to take a picture."

"No promises, Mr. Black."

I spun around, tripping on my heels and falling right into Jacob's arms. He pressed his nose into my hair, inhaling my scent and smirking.

"Who would've thought we'd have to thank Edward someday?" he wondered.

"What?" I asked curiously. "Why do we have to thank him?"

"Because, my dear," Jacob explained. "Without him telling you to hire me, we wouldn't be here right now."

"Hm," I pondered. I thought back to that morning at breakfast, when I fretted about cellulite while he told me all about Jacob. "Do we _have_ to tell him he's right?" I pressed my lips against Jacob's neck. "You know I'm not particularly a fan of making my brother's ego any bigger."

"We don't have to tell him right now," Jacob said, bringing his lips down to press onto mine.

"Good," I replied. "Because I don't think I'm done with you right now, Mr. Black. We have a_ lot _to do tonight." I winked.

"And to think I thought you'd never say you loved me," he said.

"And to think I never thought so either," I agreed. "Oh, and remember how I said fairytales don't exist?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wrong," I admitted. Jacob mocked me by gasping. I giggled.

"Today was a fairytale."

And then, the prince swept the princess into his arms and carried her off on his white steed. Okay, so maybe it was a limousine. And they didn't exactly ride off into the sunset, more like central New York. But no matter where they went or what they did, as long as they were together, everyday was a fairytale.

_The End_

"Today was a fairytale  
You were the prince  
I used to be a damsel in distress  
You took me by the hand and you picked me up at six  
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale  
I wore a dress  
You wore a dark grey t-shirt  
You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess  
Today was a fairytale  
Time slows down whenever you're around

But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale  
You've got a smile that takes me to another planet  
Every move you make everything you say is right  
Today was a fairytale  
Today was a fairytale  
All that I can say is it's getting so much clearer  
Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face  
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down whenever you're around  
Yeah yeah

But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down whenever you're around  
I can feel my heart  
It's beating in my chest  
Did you feel it?  
I can't put this down

But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale"

-"Today was a Fairytale" Taylor Swift

**Author's Note: And that's all folks! It was short, but whatever. That's my last fanfiction I have to update! So now I might wait a while to start on a new one, but that doesn't mean I'm done writing or reading at that, so keep me on your author's alert! I'm always creepin' XD Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or faved! I've said this so many times, but I really do love you all :D You're the reason I write, and the reason I'm so excited to check my emails everyday :D I really mean it when I say that your nice comments make my day a little brighter! So THANK YOU for your loyalty and support, even if my updates are choppy and erratic!**

**_When the world gets in my face, I say, have a nice day_... Reviews? Comments? Click that button!**

**-Lauren :D**


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